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International President
Secretary Treasurer
GVP Western
GVP
Canada
GVP Midwest
GVP Headquarters
GVP
Southern
GVP Eastern
GVP Transportation
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Friday, February 1, 2002Seniors
Blast Bush ‘Bogus’ Drug Plan “The
President’s plan includes a bogus discount drug card program and a
token plan to help only a very few low-income seniors. It’s just
another patch on an already threadbare quilt—a quilt that is too thin
to provide any real protection for the average older American,” said
former IP George Kourpias, who now heads the Alliance
for Retired Americans (ARA). Kourpias
said a discount card is a very poor substitute for a comprehensive
Medicare prescription drug benefit. He pointed out that high drug prices
paid by older and disabled Americans are the result of price-gouging by
the pharmaceutical industry—not the neighborhood pharmacist. “The
main issue,” Kourpias declared, “is the need for a universal
prescription drug benefit for all Medicare beneficiaries. It’s that
simple.” Bush
Budget Blunts Benefits for Jobless The
United States Conference of Mayors blasted a Bush proposal to cut
“youth opportunity grants” to $45 million next year, down from $225
million this year. The mayors said the cuts would hurt some of the
poorest communities including parts of Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles and
San Francisco. A
New York Times article points out that the “number of
unemployed people rose 40 percent last year, to 8.3 million in December
from 4.9 million in January, according to date published by the Bureau
of Labor Statistics.” In
his State of the Union address, Bush said: “…my economic security
plan can be summed up in one word, jobs.” “Cutting
training and employment programs for the jobless seems an odd way to
create ‘good jobs,’” says IP Tom Buffenbarger. Federal
Workers Fear Enron Fallout Recent
allegations of document-shredding and shoddy accounting practices by
Andersen and Enron cast heavy shadows over the auditing firm, which has
seen its once-pristine reputation come under heavy scrutiny. The
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, which manages the TSP, has
used Andersen since 1998, according to a spokesman. Ten federal agencies
had almost $60 million in contracts with one or both of the companies as
of the third quarter of Fiscal 2001, according to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). IAM
to Lockheed Martin: “As
both employees of Lockheed Martin and shareholders of the Company
through the saving plan…we are gravely concerned about the
reappointment of Mr. Frank Savage,” Buffenbarger wrote. “In addition to removing Mr. Savage from the Board, I request that we have a meeting to discuss Lockheed Martin’s plans for avoiding an Enron-like meltdown,” he continued, adding “as the lead supplier of defense products to the United States government, it is doubly important that positive measures are taken to avoid any appearance of impropriety.” Click on the link below to view the leter in entirety http://www.iamaw.org/publications/imail/lockheed_letter.htm Legislative
Conference set for May 13-17 Delegates
planning to attend the conference should schedule meetings with their
senators and Congressional representatives. There will be no afternoon
sessions so that delegates may visit Capitol Hill and urge Congress to
adopt policies and programs benefiting working families. In
addition, a retirement dinner honoring assistant GST Bill Engler will be
held in conjunction with the conference. The call includes reservation
forms and ticket orders for the retirement dinner. The
conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency, Washington. Call 202-737-1234.
Hotel reservations must be made by April 14.
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