Omaha Steve's Labor Group

Omaha Steve

(99,727 posts) Mon Jun 25, 2018, 06:19 PM Jun 2018

UFCW Local 653 Goes Outside the Box to Protect the Pensions of Union Members

By Filiberto Nolasco Gomez, Workday Minnesota
June 18, 2018

BROOKLYN CENTER
UFCW Local 653 (link is external) President Matt Utecht began thinking about the solvency of the members’ private pension plan about two years ago at church. He had come to know an older couple in their late 70s. The gentlemen of the pair was a proud retired union member who consistently wore his union branded clothing to service.

One day, Utecht approached the older couple, observing that they looked upset. They had recently found out that the husband’s multiemployer pension plan had lost a substantial portion of its value.

Their situation hit Utecht hard, as the couple reminded him of his own parents. Utecht remembered thinking,

“Here is this proud old-timer who has given the best years of his life to an employer and had counted on a retirement benefit, and had just found out that his benefit would be reduced by half. He was so defeated and dejected. When they are supposed to enjoying the time they have left together, devastation hits,” Utecht said.

FULL story: https://www.workdayminnesota.org/articles/ufcw-local-653-goes-outside-box-protect-pensions-union-members

2 replies

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UFCW Local 653 Goes Outside the Box to Protect the Pensions of Union Members (Original Post) Omaha Steve Jun 2018 OP

Maybe we should be chasing Paul Ryan out of restaurants. dameatball Jun 2018 #1

Knowing of Matt for many a year, Wellstone ruled Jun 2018 #2

dameatball

(7,399 posts)

1. Maybe we should be chasing Paul Ryan out of restaurants.

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Mon Jun 25, 2018, 06:23 PM

Jun 2018

This is just sad. Years ago, people made a choice and lived up to the deal. Now the rules have changed. Sound familiar.....sound Trumpish?

Wellstone ruled

(34,661 posts)

2. Knowing of Matt for many a year,

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Mon Jun 25, 2018, 06:37 PM

Jun 2018

the Guy is the real deal. Yes the Corporations want to dump all their obligations via the Bankruptcy Courts,we saw this in the Reagan Years,btw,that is how we met Matt,we Teamster were getting beat up much like the Meat Cutters,and we worked together to come up with a method to try to protect our Retiree's. It worked for a while,but,Corporate Legal Guy's finally learned how to beat us at our game once again.

Our Pension System is one of the Worst in the World. And with Trump blowing up the Markets,well,our 401's and IRA's are loosing value by the minute.

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