We all deserve to celebrate the arrival of our rightful share of the surplus in the CBC pension plan.
After the champagne bottles are drained, and the confetti has settled, here’s something to think about:
This is not a windfall that fell from the sky.
And no CBC pensioner would be receiving a surplus cheque,
if it weren’t for the PNA.
Even though we are the only organization that defends CBC pensions, and stands up for our collective rights, about 5,000 of our former colleagues have decided they don’t need to join us or they don’t know we exist. They are also getting a share of the surplus, benefiting from our countless hours of hard work, and from the PNA’s financial investment in legal fees to win this important arbitration.
The hurdles, the roadblocks, and the delays we all endured, waiting for our money, seemed endless. There are more surpluses to come—for 2023, and likely for 2024—and we must do what we can to smooth the way for next time.
The best thing each one of us can do is recruit new members. Our goal is to increase membership from 53% to at least 66%. This will solidify our standing as the collective voice of CBC pensioners.
We are counting on you to identify people and bring them on board. That’s because the CBC cites privacy concerns and will not share the names or contact information of pensioners and deferred pensioners (those who “parked” their pensions, while working elsewhere.)
We all know former colleagues. Ask whether they’ve joined the PNA and send them to this page of the PNA website.
https://www.cbcpensioners.ca/join-us/
A short video on that page, created by a group of our Ontario members, spells out all the critical reasons to join the PNA. Lower on the page are enrolment forms, either to print and mail or to complete and submit online.
One more note: You’ll see there are enrolment forms for surviving spouses, too. If you know any former colleagues who died and left their CBC pension to a partner, we need them on board the good ship PNA, too.
“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”
Japanese writer Ryūnosuke Satoro