Page 2 - CSEA Retiree News Spring 2019

CSEA President Danny Donohue:
Help us stay strong
When you retired,
your former
employers
promised you
a guaranteed
pension, Social
Security and
health care so you could live the rest of your life in dignity.
While you deserve to enjoy many more years of security and relaxation, the reality is that you still must be willing to fight for your retirement security.
You may ask, ‘I’m retired. Why do I need to fight?’
Here’s the simple answer: You have to be willing to fight for your rights, including your retirement security, to ensure they aren’t taken away.
We have witnessed the horror stories that are facing retirees
in other states and even some private-sector employers — pensions taken away after being promised a secure retirement, health care benefits gutted or out-of-pocket costs skyrocketing. Some of us are seeing our former employers try to balance their budgets on our backs.
In other cases, we have seen elected officials refer to our pensions as a ‘gift’ or ‘privilege,’
or refer to your pensions as ‘too generous.’
We can’t let them get away with this.
CSEA is strong and we are willing to stand up and fight for you, no matter what stage of employment or life you’re in. We are the best damn union in the country, but we need your help to keep it that way.
You know better than anyone that nothing was handed to us by employers. We had to fight for everything we have.
You also know that your benefits can be taken away if
we don’t keep up the fight and hold them accountable. In 2017, one of the biggest reasons we fought hard to defeat the state Constitutional Convention vote was because a convention would have likely put your pensions at stake.
While a convention vote only happens every 20 years, our fight for retirement security is ongoing. We are standing strong and together.
In solidarity,
Retiree Executive Committee Chair Millie Lucas:
Don’t take your retirement security
fOor granted
ne of my favorite sayings
is that ‘we may have retired from our jobs, but we didn’t retire from our lives.’
It’s true in so
many ways. We may not be going to work every day, but we still lead busy lives spending time with our loved ones, traveling, volunteering or pursuing hobbies, among other things.
We may not be wealthy, but we are very fortunate to have retired with secure, guaranteed pensions, Social Security, health care and other retirement benefits.
We can’t afford to take
our retirement security for granted, nor can we afford to be complacent about our pensions.
You may think that because you are retired, you can’t be harmed by your former employer or elected officials.
You can’t be more wrong.
All too often, a former employer may try to balance
their budgets by cutting your retirement benefits, or elected officials may put their pet policies in place by taking away from programs that help us live more
securely.
One of the main reasons they
don’t get away with it is because you have held them accountable through the power and many resources of our union.
That’s right – CSEA will fight for us, even after we retire.
The enacted New York State Budget does not include several proposals that would have significantly raised out-of-pocket costs for retirees largely because our members fought back and won. Our union has also fought for our rights in court.
CSEA can fight injustices because our union is strong. Our union is working nonstop not only to ensure that our members stay union and stay strong, but that they will one day be able to retire as securely as we had done.
As CSEA Retiree members, we can help ourselves and future retirees. Many elected officials certainly pay us lip service by saying they support retirees, but what really matters are their actions and their votes.
Let’s do our part and hold them accountable.
In solidarity,
Millie
Important Notice: Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Westchester Medical Center Health
NEetwork negotiations unsuccessful to date mpire Blue Cross/Blue Shield Medical Center hospitals will be
(EBCBS) renegotiates their considered out-of-network for hospital contracts regularly services rendered on or after June
agreement is reached, effective 12:01 a.m. on June 1, 2019,
the following hospitals will be considered non-participating with EBCBS:
Westchester Medical Center Health Network Facilities:
•
Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital Westchester Medical Center
with participating hospitals.
As this edition went to press, our Health Benefits Department
was notified that recent contract negotiations between EBCBS
and Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMC) have been unsuccessful to date. Unless continuing negotiations lead to a contract agreement, Westchester
2
1, 2019.
Letters describing the
problematic negotiations will be sent to EBCBS enrollees who live within 30 miles of a WMC facility or who have received services at a WMC facility within the past year.
It is hopeful that an agreement will be reached before the May 31, 2019 termination date. If no
• • •
Bon Secours – Good Samaritan Hospital
Bon Secours – Mercy Community Hospital
Bon Secours – St. Anthony’s Hospital
If you are currently receiving services from a WMC facility or
are scheduled for treatment at a WMC facility, please call Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield at 1-800- 495-9323, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. The customer service representatives will be happy to assist you with any questions you may have.
CSEA RETIREE NEWS