Welcome to Calgary

Wendy Kraft - Calgary District Director   October 06, 2011

Dec. 06 2011 District Director Comments

Welcome Pionairs to our informative website and our important organization. We have a talented Calgary board and  4 excellent functions per year in Calgary at which we have lots of fun and also keep you informed.  Our Christmas luncheon at the Calgary Winter Club was warm and festive. We have grown our current membership to 612 members.  Also, do use ‘pionairs.ca’  to keep informed!  Follow the many links provided for pension status updates, personal pension information, AC financial updates, Pionair sponsor sites, travel updates and the photo galleries of our functions.

BUT HERE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PURPOSE OF OUR PIONAIR ORGANIZATION.

Did you know that Pionairs is the only organization that lobbies directly to the Federal Government to ensure the safety of your pensions in the unfortunate event of Air Canada seeking CCAA protection or bankruptcy protection.  The status of pensioners at this time is ‘unsecured creditors’ should these unfortunate events occur.  Our Pionair Pension and Benefits committee works with other Canadian companies toward important legislation changes to eventually raise our pension status to that of ‘secured creditors’.  This is a slow process and your ongoing support is needed.

Also, did you know that as a registered non-profit organization, Pionairs is expected to represent  50%  of all retired Air Canada employees?  Our numbers must be high in order to gain the Federal attention required to ensure legislative change.

Calgarians get things done!  How can you help?

•    We must increase our membership. Our membership fee is $17.00 per year. If you know any retired Air Canada employees who are not Pionair members, please urge them to register on the home page of ‘www.pionairs.ca’.  The $17.00 is taken off your pension cheque in June each year.

•    Each time you are requested through bulletins from our Pension and Benefits Committee to write or email letters to our Finance Minister, Mr. Flaherty, in support of pension security,  PLEASE take the 5 minutes required, choose one of the sample letters supplied, and email or mail your view to the Minister. The last ‘call to write’ produced letters from only 13% of Pionairs. This frankly is not a strong enough show of support.  Legislation can go to the back burner if our interest is not vehemently expressed. VIGILANCE IS THE PRICE OF OUR PENSION SECURITY.  Please take the time.

Another important request Calgary Pionairs: WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR EMAIL, PLEASE ALSO CHANGE IT ON ‘pionairs.ca’. We are receiving many ‘bounce-backs’ nationally and locally. The contact numbers of our computer assistance Pionairs, Walter Brown, Trudy Cole and Karen Colvinns are here on the site should you require instruction or assistance.

We love your ideas, please feel free to contact any one of us with them!

On behalf of the Board I wish you a peaceful and healthy Holiday Season.  Join us for our spring function!