Good afternoon, and thank you for a great turnout!
Three weeks ago on CBC Radio, a government representative stated that the government wanted retired teachers to accept a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) of 2/3 cap to be paid on an affordability basis like the civil servants= superannuation plan.

  We can not agree to this demand... Why not? Because (here= s a little history) thirty
  years ago TRAF and the CSSP [civil service superannuation plan] were similar:

• the same contribution rate of 7% of the Yearly Maximum Pensionable Earnings (MYPE),

• the same COLA calculation of December Consumer Price Index

• 10.2 cents of every dollar going to a separate indexing account, and

• both had a disability provision.

  In 1980 teachers increased the contribution rate to 7.3% of the MYPE and increased
  the amount allocated to the indexing account (COLA) from 10.2 cents of every dollar to
  16.1 cents. This was to ensure an adequate COLA. Today it is 16.6 cents. As well, we
  gave up the disability provision and started our own Long Term Disability Plan
   with no matching government contributions! The CSSP indexing contribution is still
 10.2 cents and the civil servants still have a disability provision after ten years of service.

 Other provinces have dealt with problems in their teacher pension plans, including
 COLA. Why has this not happened in Manitoba? Yes, the Government has recently
 made changes to the main plan but nothing was done to resolve the COLA issue.

  The Government has to act, and act now, to solve the dilemma. With a strong economy
  and revenues exceeding predictions, and record transfers from Ottawa, money is not
  the problem.

  What is needed and needed now is the will to act and give retired teachers a fair
  and reasonable COLA!

 Brian Ardern, Manitoba Teachers' Society President


 I want to thank you for the invitation to be here today.

 COLA is important to teachers. And teachers are important to this province. When government considers this issue they need to remember that it
 is teachers, both active and retired, who are the ones who have built
  this province.  And the prosperity of this province, including its economic prosperity
  has always been in our hands.

  The Manitoba Teachers' Society is working with the Retired Teachers Association to
   ask government to address your concerns. Issues related to our pension plan, including
   the issue of COLA, has been one of our biggest priorities.

   Last year active teachers kicked in more money to help and this year MTS is asking
   teachers and the government to kick in more. We've been talking to government. We've
   been working with the Pension Task Force. And we've worked closely with RTAM over
   the last year.

  And I want to thank Con Lynch for the work he has done since becoming RTAM President.
  Con has worked hard to open doors between our organizations and ensure that
  discussions between us are open, honest and respectful. We've shared information and
  had good discussions. We'll continue that work and those meetings and those discussions.

  MTS is dedicated to improving the COLA provided to retired teachers. And we're
  committed to working with government, and with your organization, to make sure that
  happens.

 PC Leader Hugh McFadyen
 Excerpts from the PC Leader' s remarks:

Thank you for inviting me to speak here today.

 You are all here because you want your voices to be heard.
 You want to be treated fairly.
 You have launched letter-writing campaigns and participated in past rallies.
 

 I commend your efforts. It has been nearly 30 years (-1977-) since teachers made
 the historic deal to give up your disability benefit and pay higher contribution rates
 in exchange for a full cost of living adjustment (COLA). For 2006 retired teachers in
 our province are receiving a COLA that is three-tenths (3/10) of a Consumer Price
 Index increase.

You are concerned about the future of the teachers' pension plan and the COLA you stand to receive in the coming years. You are frustrated with the inaction of this N.D.P. government. Your concerns are only growing deeper.

 The Progressive Conservative Caucus has met with a number of you on different occasions. We have received postcards, letters, emails and phone calls from you. We are listening to
 your concerns. You told us that you would like to have a seat and a voice on the board of
 the Teachers' Retirement Allowances Fund (TRAF).

 We took action on your behalf. We moved an amendment to The Teachers' Pensions
 Amendment Act to ensure that of the appointments made by the government to the TRAF
 Board, one would be a retired teacher. The N.D.P. government refused to support this
 amendment and it was defeated. Because of your persistence, and because of the work
 done by our Caucus on your behalf, the government, in the end, appointed a retired teacher
 to the board. Together, we would not take no for an answer from this N.D.P. government.
 However, we are disappointed that this Minister of Education did not see it fit to have this
 appointment enshrined in legislation.

 Regardless of which government is in power, you should be guaranteed a voice in matters
 of utmost importance to you. I have said many times that teachers deserve our respect.
 This is absolutely true of retired teachers as well. You have dedicated your lives to helping
 prepare our children for their future paths. You have worked diligently throughout your career
 and want to enjoy your retirement. Our Caucus believes you deserve to be treated fairly.

 The N.D.P. government has refused to listen to your concerns. That is NOT being treated
  fairly. We know that you are looking for a solution that is reasonable and fair.
  We will continue to listen to you.

 Pat Bowslaugh, RTAM Vice-President
 Excerpts from VP Bowslaugh's presentation.
 

 Welcome to our second edition of "Let' s meet with our politicians for
 a history lesson"!  It has always been said that "Rome wasn't built in a day!" and it is already very evident  that our pension issues have not been solved in a day!!! ...It is a fact that almost twenty  years ago actuaries informed those in charge of our pension plan that the funds were not
  adequate. So, over the years was there solid action to address this inadequate funding
  for the base pension and for COLA? Unfortunately: No!!

  So here we are two decades later, as a group of retirees facing a diminishing purchasing
  power. We must ask: " Why?" Well, most of you have come through the same decades
  as I have... So, you must remember the 5 cent ice cream cone ...these days are gone! We
  all know that this is due to inflation. ...We all saw our yearly salaries grow with inflation
  but the ...costs of food, utilities, accommodation and transportation, clothing and recreation
  skyrocketed ... and continue to do so. Oh, yes. We must not forget the taxes......We
  scrambled then to have all these fixed costs covered. We scramble even more today to
  cover these basic necessities of life. Why? Because we do not have a fair COLA!!!
 We need help to maintain our purchasing power!!

  We all reflect and appreciate that ...the Manitoba Teachers' Society became extensively
  involved in negotiating so that the increasing costs based on the Consumer Price Index
  were tied closely and/or reflected in, the negotiated contracts. ...The late George Strang
  worked endlessly ...with other colleagues as well as the Schreyer government to design
  a pension plan that would guarantee a comfortable future for teachers. This plan included
   ...paying an increased premium of approximately 16% ...to TRAF. We thought this would
  guaranteed a strong COLA. Unlike other provinces, the teachers and government agreed
  that the pension would not include a disability component. Henceforth, we paid into a long
 Term Disability Insurance and made extra TRAF contributions every year to guarantee
 a strong COLA.

  So what happened? We know that teachers retire earlier and live longer...almost 20% of our
  retirees are 80 years of age or older. Many are living at or below the poverty line even with
  OAS and CPP. We stand today having just received a 0.64% COLA this year while inflation
  was in excess of 2%. Last year we received ...0.42% COLA ! Yes, folks, we are reaping
  what was NOT sown during the latter years in which we taught!!!!

  The late Murray Smith, a Past President of MTS and a Past President of RTAM,
  ...understood and ...spoke adamantly about our need to address this problem.
  And what has happened? I have some observations:

Observation # 1:
  ... retired teachers are not always...valued as being sufficiently cognizant nor sufficiently
  interested nor sufficiently confident nor vocal to pursue our concerns! These negative
  perceptions must be continuing today because,...Do we have a legislated voice on the
  TRAF Board? NO!! We ...have ... no permanent appointee!! While presenting on the floor
  of Legislative Committee was RTAM a recognized entity? ...we were told not!! ...a short
   while ago, Education Minister Peter Bjornson ...recognized us... and for that we
  thank him.

Observation #2:
  There are some legislators who have not valued our time and effort to communicate
  with them about our concerns. How many of you have written to your MLA and receive
  no answer? How many of you have asked to meet with your MLA and are still waiting
  for an appointment?

Observation # 3:
 When the Pension Act is opened, how much research is done by the legislators to know the
 true facts? To know what impact the legislation will have?... Last year the contributions were
 increased... finally.... but not to the extent needed to "catch up" for the years of under
 contributions! The actuaries said that even an increase of 2.2% would probably not
  suffice. What was legislated? 1.1%

So, now that we have had the history lesson, how do we handle this?

 1.  The government must open the Pension Act again and address this issue immediately
       both for us retirees as well as the 14,000 [active] teachers ...in the classrooms.
       Is it realistic to believe that they want to arrive at retirement day only to find out that
      their pension's purchasing power diminishes yearly for the rest of their lives? Well, we
      are experiencing it! We know about it! We are here to put faces to these realities!!!

2.   We must remind the government that we paid into TRAF in good faith. We paid more
      into a fund than our counterparts in other government jurisdictions. We are now receiving
      less than our counterparts. We are even told that we should accept a COLA with a
     2/3 maximum. This means that if there is no money in the Pension Adjustment Account
     that we could get nothing! Does this make sense? Does this sound fair?

3.  We must not accept a band-aid approach! Just as George Strang had a vision that
    served us well for many years, it is now incumbent upon us to work with government
    to have a plan that will address the needs of both ourselves AND our counterparts in
    the classrooms!!!

4.  A plan must be visionary. It must work not just for today and next year but for many years
    to come. We need the Government, Manitoba Teachers' Society and RTAM to
    come together and work together for a fair and reasonable solution to this dilemma, AND

5. We must convince any adversaries that we are not asking for an increase in our base
    pension; we ask only for a FAIR COLA that reflects CPI so that our dollars maintain
    the same purchasing power!!

  Recently when Premier Gary Doer was in Brandon he was [asked] " Is the topic of COLA
  for retired teachers on the agenda for the legislature for this fall?" Premier Doer's response:
  "We do know that it (COLA) is a problem." and "There is no question that the pension plan
   for teachers has not been adequately funded..." ... the Manitoba Teachers' Society has
   known it is a problem! The members of RTAM are suffering from this problem! Now, even
  Premier Doer admits it is a problem! ..why isn' t it on the agenda? When can we expect
  a change? When will we receive a FAIR COLA? Time is of the essence here!

  Thank you for being here today. Today each one of you has come here to stand in solidarity,
  to share your disappointment, your sadness, your frustration and probably your anger for
  not being taken seriously about treatment that reeks of being unfair, discriminatory and
  even disrespectful!

  We trusted our legislators over our decades of dedicated service. We receive shoddy
  treatment in return. "Rome was not built in a day" but Rome was built with vision and
  energy and persistence. We have a vision! We have energy! We will persist!
  And, we are not prepared to wait endless more days for fair treatment.
  We want action! TODAY!