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Find out about the upcoming cuts to your pension!
Charlottetown (21 Oct. 2013) - In the wake of the PEI provincial government's announcement of its intention to move ahead with radical changes to pensions, members and retirees of the PEI Union of Public Sector Employees (PEIUPSE/NUPGE) are invited to a meeting to discuss the proposed changes.
Government making harmful changes to pensions without promised agreement by stakeholders
These changes are taking place, despite the Premier’s promise that no changes to the pension would be made without concurrence from the unions.
PEIUPSE/NUPGE has already been meeting with members across the provinces. In Montague over 100 members turned out on October 17 to provide feedback and raise concerns with the direction the government is headed.
The changes include using a career average to calculate the pension, taking away guaranteed cost of living increases and increasing the age needed to qualify for a full pension. After 16 months of negotiation, the government made its plans public, and it plans to introduce legislation in the coming session.
Members of pension plans speaking out on changes - will act at the ballot box if necessary
PEIUPSE President Debbie Bovyer said the union recognizes some changes are required to make public sector pensions sustainable, but said these changes are too drastic. Bovyer said she is hearing from members the plan cannot be allowed to go ahead.
"A lot of the calls that we're getting in at the union office - I'm getting emails, text messages - [are saying] that change will be made one way or the other," she said. "If they can't get a positive change to the pension, they will make a change in government."
PEIUPSE/NUPGE encourages all members to attend this meeting on October 21 at 6 p.m. at the O'Leary Legion, 69 Ellis Avenue, O'Leary, PEI to learn more, and to find out what you can do to protect your pension.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE