CWA Launches Lifetime Membership Program for Retirees' Council

To help retired members stay connected to CWA, and to harness their energy for protecting key retiree issues — pensions, health care, Social Security and Medicare — CWA is now offering a special Lifetime Membership in the Retired Members' Council for a one-time payment of $25.

"We must do a better job of realizing the tremendous potential that CWA retirees can play in our employer and legislative campaigns to maintain and protect the hard-won benefits we all count on when we retire," said CWA's national officers in announcing the program to locals.

The Executive Board created the lifetime Council memberships in response to CWA's Ready for the Future convention resolution calling for doubling the number of Council members to 50,000 by 2009.  Previously Council membership required payment of annual fees.

Under the program, the 20,000 current members of CWA local retiree chapters will automatically be enrolled in the program. CWA last week mailed a brochure and application form to 128,000 retirees who don't now belong to local chapters outlining the new program. To become lifetime members of the Council, retirees can either return the form with a check or credit card information or else join directly online at a new website — www.CWAretirees.com.

On the website, retirees will find information about the activities of the Retired Members' Council as well as money-saving discount programs available to Council members through the CWA Union Privilege program.