LOCAL 598/CAW RETIRED WORKERS’ CHAPTER
Vice-Chair Report
By: Tom Rannelli
It’s been a while since I have given a yearly report. However, I will say our Chapter is in excellent shape, both financially and in Union involvement.
We have assisted the active workers by helping organize other groups into the Local Union. Rick Grylls, Local 598 President, informs us that we now have a total of 13 units to bargain for. In fact, he is optimistic that we will have a total membership, by year’s end, of 2,000 active members. This, along with our Retirees’ organization of 1,400 plus spouses and widows, is indeed a large number of CAW members.
The Richard Lake Campgrounds property (not sold) is becoming very active and other groups such as the Metis and the Freedom Riders (respectable bikers) are assisting the Union in maintaining this great piece of recreational land.
The future for the Campground property is indeed very optimistic, with plans for washroom facilities (no more portable toilets) well in the planning stages. Our Retirees are actively involved, participating for example, in the annual Labour Day Picnic, which is growing in numbers each year. Plans for other structures are being explored by our Campground Committee. By the way, Ben Robinson, our Retirees’ Chapter President, sits on this Committee.
Our Christmas Party was again a huge success for 2007 and once again, the retirees attending donated a ton of food to the food banks. The National Union also donated $2,000.00 to the food bank, along with our Local Union’s donation of $1,000.00 as well as the Retirees’ Chapter’s donation of $200.00. Our draw went well and all proceeds are donated to Camp Quality, a special summer camp programme for children suffering from various diseases, some with limited life spans.
Our Chapter remains strong and we are preparing for negotiations in 2010. To stay up to date, come to our monthly meetings on the last Tuesday of the month at the old Mine Mill Hall, and in the summer starting in May at the Richard Lake property.
Colorectal Cancer Screening Program
Greetings to fellow Retirees:
On November 22, 2007 Brother Tom Rannelli and I attended a very interesting presentation at Laurentian University, put on by the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. The topic of the presentation was “Colorectal Cancer Screening”.
In February of 2007 the Ontario Government made a commitment of $193.5 million to promote the early detection of Colorectal Cancer.
The provincial government is launching Canada’s first province-wide screening program to provide early detection of colorectal cancer and help save the lives of Ontarians who may be at risk.
"Colorectal cancer is the second deadliest form of cancer in Canada but it is preventable. If detected in its early stages, there is a 90 per cent chance it can be treated and cured.”
In 2006, an estimated 7,500 Ontarians were diagnosed with colorectal cancer. In the same year, 3,100 died from the disease. Currently, only one out of five Ontarians age 50 and over are screened for colorectal cancer by any method.
The Ontario government is investing $193.5 million over the next five years to implement and expand the program to increase access to colorectal cancer screening for Ontarians aged 50 years or older. Experts recommend that all people aged 50 years and older should be screened for colorectal cancer.
Individuals aged 50 and over who are at average risk – having no family history of colorectal cancer or symptoms – will have access to an easy-to-use at home screening kit called the fecal occult blood test (FOBT). FOBT kits will be available through physicians’ offices, walk-in clinics, and community health centres. As the program expands, the kits will also be available at participating pharmacies.
The program – developed in collaboration with Cancer Care Ontario, the provincial agency that co-ordinates Ontario’s cancer services and prevention programs – will also increase access to colonoscopies, a procedure that examines the rectum and colon for polyps that might be cancerous. Individuals who have a positive FOBT test as well as those who are at an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer because they have a family history of this disease will continue to be referred for a colonoscopy.
Other components of the program include:
Ø A single laboratory to handle the processing of all fecal occult blood tests to ensure consistent quality standards and streamlined results.
Ø The creation of a registry to send reminders about screening, assist in result and follow-up notification for individuals without access to primary care providers, and provide an evaluation tool to track overall program progress.
Ø A comprehensive five-year public education campaign to educate the public and health care providers on the benefits of colorectal screening and early detection.
Ontario’s colorectal cancer screening program will enable care providers with the ability to detect colorectal cancer much earlier when treatment is most effective. Ninety per cent of colon cancers are curable, if caught early.
The colorectal cancer screening program joins the Smoke Free Ontario Act as one of the most important policies in Ontario’s history to reduce suffering and death from cancer.
Our Chapter’s Executive and membership fully endorse this project as I am sure we all know of someone in our life affected by Colorectal Cancer. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month. Further information will be provided to all our members via our web page, Med-I-Well services and other mail outs.
Good health to all,
Regards,
Brian McDonald.
With files from the Toronto Star and the Canadian Cancer Society
Medication Awareness Programme
We have an on-going programme that we put on for our pensioners, wives and spouses. It is called, “The Wise Use OF Medication” or M.A.P.
We invite you to attend the M.A.P. session on:
Date: Tuesday, February 26th
Tuesday, March 25th
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Place: Howard Armstrong Community Centre, Hanmer
There will be other dates and places that we will be holding our M.A.P. sessions. We will be sending out invitations to our retirees and widows.
Members of the M.A.P. Committee are:
Albert & Marg Bossey – 969-4217
Don Haggart – 855-2107
Moe Brisebois – 567-8974
Ron Michaud – 693-3624
If you have any questions, please call any of the above.
Financial Secretary Report
By: George Markic
We all got a year older since last mailing of the income tax receipts in February of 2007!
Most of you are aware of our Chapter’s activities during last year – the main attraction of course was our Christmas Social on December 4th. It was well attended and well prepared, thanks to our Brothers and Sisters under the leadership of our veteran Tom Rannelli, who contributed their valuable time and know-how!
We also attended a few other functions represented by our Retirees’ Chapter. Read more about these in other officers’ reports and on the Retirees’ Chapter web site.
Our Website is up and running, thanks to Gary Lamarche (Biker) who is doing excellent job. If you have access to a computer have look once in a while to see what’s happening in and around our Retirees’ Chapter.
There are articles of interest for our pensioners and there is an Obituaries Section where we can see up to date names of our deceased brothers and sisters.
It is not hard to find – just go to the Mine Mill web site and click on the Retirees Section. You can see various pictures, the most recent one from our Annual Curling Bonspiel. I curled for the first time in my life and I did fine according to Aurel.
We are having some problems with a few addresses of our members. As you know we all move around and the important thing is to make address changes with the Company and Union.
The Need for Keeping Beneficiaries Up To Date
Many of us have forgotten the last time we did anything with our beneficiary’s designation. Most of us probably designated a beneficiary when we were still working years back. Many people never consider their beneficiary again, even through changes may have occurred in our life conditions. I am no exception; we are all in this mess, sometimes too late.
Discussions of this and other items of interest are extensive at our regular monthly meetings on the last Tuesday of each month.
There was a recommendation that we invite a lawyer for explanation and discussion.
Our Chairman, Brother Ben Robinson contacted Donald Kuyek who agreed to come to speak to all of us and answer questions. This will happen on April 29th, the last Tuesday of that month.
The membership meeting will start at 9:30 a.m. and around 11:00 a.m. will take over (coffee and donuts will be provided).
Questions such as Power of Attorney and Will Executors are the most common problems that we all need updating on.