The ongoing contribution of the retired constituency, which is several hundred strong, can be found on UTFA Council, in various UTFA committees, and in other University committees.
Your UTFA Councillors are Ed Barbeau, Elinor Fillion, and Mary Alice Guttman. George Milbrandt is a member of the Salary, Benefits, Pensions and Workload Committee. Mary Alice Guttman also serves on the Equity as well as the Salary, Benefits, Pensions and Workload Committees. Arthur G. Rubinoff is a member of the University’s Pension Committee. He was recommended by UTFA and represents all retirees who are members of the University’s registered pension plans.
This year the Retired Members Committee has been sponsoring a number of events. The first took place November 24, 2016, at the Faculty Club. It featured a presentation by David Ticoll entitled Driving Changes: Vehicle Automation and the Future of Our Cities. David outlined the development of self-driving vehicles; their potential benefits, especially for those with mobility challenges; and some of the economic, environmental, and social implications for our urban environment. A reception followed. On March 14, 2016, there was a drop-in to commemorate that date back in 2005 when UTFA and the University administration signed an agreement to end mandatory retirement. On May 9, 2017, the Ontario Securities Commission will give a presentation on the current state of fraud and measures that can help to safeguard your finances.
I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the time and contributions that they are making.
UTFA is a member of CURAC (College and University Retiree Associations of Canada) and AROHE (Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education). I will be representing UTFA in Ottawa in May at the annual CURAC conference. I have been elected to the AROHE Board of Directors for a two-year term.
I have been asked to join a subcommittee of a Strategic Planning Committee for the Senior College Centre. The Centre, now part of Senior College, was originally established as the Academic Retiree Centre, one of the initiatives coming out of the 2005 agreement referenced earlier. Derek Allen, Harold Atwood, Patricia Bellamy, and Peter Russell are the other committee members. Another UTFA connection with the Senior College Centre comes with the participation of both the President and the Chair of the Retired Members Committee on the Centre’s Board of Management.
Discussions about the possibility of a new Jointly Sponsored Pension Plan (JSPP) within the Ontario university sector have been under way for some time and will continue into the next academic year. The members of the Retired Members Committee will continue to participate in those discussions and offer our experience and insights.
The RALUT Boundless Memorial Award was established and has been supported by a number of retired faculty and librarians and contributions to it continue to be welcomed.
Since the last AGM the UTFA retired constituency has lost several members. We remember Ursula Franklin, Calvin C. Gotlieb, Ilze V. Kalnins, J. Graham Nairn, Wendy L. Rolph, Noah N. Shneidman, S. Mike Uzumeri, and Paul Y. Wang.
A number of you have been in touch with me over the year with various concerns and questions. I appreciate hearing from you and hope you will continue to be in touch.
Kent Weaver
Chair, Retired Members Committee