upcoming events/trips
Transcription
upcoming events/trips
4290A.qxd 7/10/06 10:43 AM Page 1 Presorted Standard Mail U.S. Postage PAID New York, NY Permit No. 3700 330 West 42nd Street New York, NY 10036-6977 Do you have questions about your Fund benefits? Send them to us! We’ll answer one in each edition of your 1199SEIU Retired Members Bulletin. Question: When will the 1199SEIU HIP VIP program be available for retirees in Nassau County? - Gina Mazzola, Retired from Island Medical Center Answer: UPCOMING EVENTS/TRIPS Las Vegas Trip December 4 – 8, 2006 Flamingo Hotel & Casino America West from JFK $599 per person, Double occupancy $799 Single occupancy Trip cancellation insurance is INCLUDED in the price Package includes: Round trip non-stop flights, 4 nights deluxe accommodations at the Flamingo Hotel, admissions to 2 revue shows, fun book with discount coupons, transfer, baggage handling in Las Vegas and taxes. $100 deposit due immediately Final payment due by Nov. 1, 2006 New Year’s Eve Cruise from New York Aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines’ “Norwegian Dawn” Thursday, December 28 to Sunday, January 7, 2007 Ports of call: St. Thomas, Tortola, St. Maarten, San Juan and Great Stirrup Cay. Includes all meals, entertainment, port charges, government fees and all taxes. Category KK (inside):$1,849 double occupancy Category F (outside):$2,149 double occupancy Category BD (balcony):$2,389 double occupancy Trip cancellation insurance is INCLUDED in the price $100 per person deposit due immediately Final payment due by Sept. 15, 2006 Montreal – Ottawa August 7 – 11, 2006 4 nights/breakfasts/dinners $629 per person, Double occupancy $824 Single occupancy Trip cancellation insurance is INCLUDED in the price Old-world ambiance and elegance distinguish the culture and character of the city. The mix of French and Canadian, traditional and modern, is reflected in this tour and transportation in a deluxe coach. Come and enjoy sights such as: Mt. Royal, French Quarter,Old Montreal and Ottawa. Sightseeing, admission, a visit to Casino de Montreal, baggage handling, and taxes, gratuities for the meals are included. Full payment due immediately Puerto Rico Senior Festival October 23 – 27, 2006 $849 per person, Double occupancy $1,114 Single occupancy Trip cancellation insurance is INCLUDED in the price Package includes: Round trip airfare from New York, deluxe accommodations for 4 evenings at the Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel & Casino, 4 breakfasts, 2 sightseeing tours including a visit to El Yunque – the rain forest, transfers and baggage handling in San Juan and taxes. $100 deposit due immediately Final payment due by Sept. 15, 2006 ALL PAYMENTS MUST BE MADE BY CHECK OR MONEY ORDER ONLY. For ALL TRIP reservations and information, contact Vianka Biales at (646) 473-8756. While the RMD is happy to help make these trips available to 1199SEIU retirees, these trips are not a Fund benefit. The 1199SEIU Funds are not responsible for transportation, food, lodging or any of the activities that occur during the trip. Since we introduced the 1199SEIU HIP VIP Medicare Plan for New York City retirees last year as part of our collectively-bargained cost-saving programs, retirees in other areas have been asking when they will be able to join the plan. We’ve been working with HIP to expand the program, and starting this fall, eligible Nassau county retirees will also receive their health benefits through the 1199SEIU HIP VIP Medicare plan. If you live in Nassau County, are Medicare-eligible and are also eligible for retiree health benefits, you must enroll in the 1199SEIU HIP VIP Medicare Plan by September 1 to continue your benefits through the Fund, but you can enroll sooner. Your enhanced benefits will become effective October 1. With the 1199SEIU HIP VIP Medicare Plan, Nassau County retirees will receive: • Free basic dental coverage and vision care • Access to over 7,200 health care providers in Nassau County, and another 25,000 in New York City • No deductible or co-pay for primary care office visits • Only a $10 co-pay for specialist office visits • Basic prescription drug coverage Depending on your Fund, eligibility, and years of service, you may also receive supplemental benefits, such as enhanced prescription coverage, through the Fund. IN THIS ISSUE • 1199SEIU RMD President’s Message Page 2 • 1199SEIU Benefit & Pension Funds Executive Director Message Page 3 • Pregúntele a su fondo Page 4 • Florida Notes Page 5 • Florida and South Carolina Chapters Page 5 • From the Desk of the Fund’s Medical Director Page 6 • Activist Page & President’s Message Page 7 • Upcoming Events/Trips Page 8 For more information, we encourage Nassau County retirees to attend one of HIP’s informational meetings in your area during July or August. Staff members will answer your questions and help you enroll on the spot. To find out dates and times for these meetings, or to request an enrollment package, call HIP’s dedicated line for 1199SEIU retirees at (877) HIP-1199. For questions about your retiree health benefits, call the Fund at (646) 473-8770. Please consult your Summary Plan Description (SPD) for a full description of your benefit coverage. In case of any conflict between your Retired Members Bulletin and the SPD, the terms of the SPD shall govern. Questions for “Ask Your Fund” can be emailed to [email protected], or mailed to: 1199SEIU Retired Members Division, 330 West 42nd Street, 9th Floor, New York NY 10036, Attn: Retired Members Bulletin. 4290A.qxd 7/10/06 10:43 AM Page 2 1199SEIU RMD President’s Message 1199SEIU ACTIVIST PAGE Retired Members Division Bridge Class Mensaje Del Presidente John Perkins Dear Sisters and Brothers: Queridos Hermanas y Hermanos: Thanks to all of you who attended June’s retiree conference. I was happy to see so many of you there, and I enjoyed meeting and speaking with each of you. I know it was also important for all of us to hear from our Union President, Dennis Rivera, about how we can be involved in protecting our benefits and the health and pension benefits of the next generation of 1199SEIU retirees. Gracias a todos los que asistieron a la conferencia de jubilados de junio. Estuve feliz de ver a tantos de ustedes ahí y disfruté reuniéndome y hablando con cada uno de ustedes. También sé que para todos nosotros fue importante escuchar a nuestro Presidente del Sindicato, Dennis Rivera, sobre cómo podemos participar en la protección de nuestros beneficios y sobre los beneficios de salud y pensión de la próxima generación de jubilados de 1199SEIU. As the Union prepares for upcoming contract negotiations, we all need to do our part. One of the easiest ways we can do that is by paying our Union dues. I know that $5 each month is not too much to ask to help preserve our current benefits, and to make sure that our working brothers and sisters enjoy the same security in retirement that we do. You can read more about this effort on the Activist page. A medida que el Sindicato se prepara para las próximas negociaciones contractuales, todos necesitamos contribuir con nuestra parte. Una de las formas más fáciles en que podemos hacer eso es pagando nuestras cuotas sindicales. Yo sé que $5 cada mes no es mucho pedirles para ayudar a preservar nuestros beneficios actuales y asegurarnos de que nuestros hermanos y hermanas trabajadores disfruten de la misma seguridad en la jubilación que nosotros tenemos. Pueden leer más sobre este esfuerzo en la página del Activista. I hope you are all enjoying your summer, and I look forward to seeing you at your fall chapter meetings in September! Espero que todos estén disfrutando de su verano y espero verlos en sus reuniones de las agrupaciones del otoño en el mes de septiembre. In Solidarity, En Solidaridad, John Perkins John Perkins Always Wanted to Play Bridge? Now’s Your Chance! Bridge is a card game that is both fun and mentally challenging. Beginning in September, you can come learn the game and meet other players through the Retired Members Division Bridge class. Taught by Burt Knaiger, a Bridge professional, the class offers both beginning and advanced players an opportunity to play in a supportive, informal learning environment. TUESDAY AFTERNOONS Beginning Sept. 5th 1:30 - 4:30 pm 1199SEIU RMD 330 West 42nd Street 9th Floor Join Our Atlantic City Trip! Atlantic City Claridge Casino Monday Aug. 21, 2006 Pay $19 Manhattan, call Vianka Biales (646) 473-8756 Brooklyn, call Lena Hayes (718) 624-1363 St. Albans, call Clifton Rutherford (718) 657-8348 Dear Sisters and Brothers, Our Union has an enormously important campaign unfolding in the next six months. I want to call your attention to it and to solicit your support and involvement. This campaign will have a huge impact on you as retirees, and on all of us. We refer to this fall’s Congressional elections. We have a real possibility of winning back the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate. We probably don’t need to agitate you about how terribly wrong things are going in the country — a disastrous war based on lies, a growing healthcare crisis with mounting numbers of uninsured and runaway costs that jeopardize maintaining benefits, a tax giveaway to the billionaires while the rest of us pay more, etc. We have a chance of calling a halt to those policies this November. But it can’t be done without your support. As the sisters and brothers who built our Union, nobody knows better than you of our proud traditions of progressive activism. Now we need you to carry on those traditions even in retirement. campaigns. In fact, in the 2004 presidential election, 1199SEIU retirees came out in full force, moving to key battleground states for months at a time. But not every retiree can volunteer their time and we need every retiree to play their part. Our Union needs each and every 1199SEIU retiree to also commit to paying $5 a month in dues. Your dues not only sustain the Union to engage in the political process, it also helps our Union to fight for you. Think about everything you’ve achieved through our Union, and all of the health and pension benefits you now receive. None of this was accomplished without struggle. Nothing was given to you for free. And none of this is guaranteed forever. Your benefits are negotiated over again with each Collective Bargaining Agreement. Funding for our healthcare institutions — and indirectly your benefits — depends largely on Medicare and Medicaid funding. Keeping our Union strong and able to continue to fight to protect what we’ve won depends on all of us. All of this takes money. With 50,000 retired members, our Union could realize three million dollars a year from our retired members — based on the minimum of five dollars a month. Now that would make a difference. I am proud that so many 1199SEIU retirees have volunteered in record numbers to work on our political Dennis Rivera President of 1199SEIU Why I Signed Up! When I meet with retirees from other Unions, I know that their benefits and retiree programs simply don’t compare with those that we get. We are a blessed group of people. We never stop getting benefits and programs from our Union. So we shouldn’t ever stop paying our dues. Five dollars a month is quite reasonable. Any organization relies on dues to function. And of course we want our Union to continue to function and be strong. Lena Hayes, RN Retired from Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York City THIS PAGE IS PAID FOR BY 1199SEIU UNITED HEALTHCARE WORKERS EAST 2 JULY/AUGUST 2006 QUESTIONS? CALL: (646) 473-8761 • OUTSIDE NYC: (800) 575-7771 QUESTIONS? CALL: (646) 473-8761 • OUTSIDE NYC: (800) 575-7771 JULY/AUGUST 2006 7 4290A.qxd 7/10/06 10:43 AM Page 4 ´ PREGUNTELE A SU FONDO OUT OF STATE RETIREES Florida Notes ¿Tiene preguntas sobre los beneficios de su Fondo? Envíenoslas Responderemos una en cada número de su Boletín para Miembros Jubilados de 1199SEIU. P. ¿Cuándo estará disponible el programa 1199SEIU HIP VIP para los jubilados en el Condado de Nassau? - Gina Mazzola, jubilada del Island Medical Center R. Desde que introdujimos el año pasado el Plan HIP VIP Medicare de 1199SEIU para los jubilados de la ciudad de Nueva York como parte de nuestros programas de ahorro de costos negociados colectivamente, los jubilados en otras áreas han estado preguntando cuándo podrán unirse al plan. Hemos estado trabajando con HIP para expandir el programa y a partir de este otoño los jubilados elegibles del condado de Nassau también recibirán sus beneficios de salud a través del plan HIP VIP Medicare de 1199SEIU. Si vive en el Condado de Nassau, es elegible para recibir Medicare y también es elegible para los beneficios de salud como jubilado, debe inscribirse en el Plan HIP VIP Medicare de 1199SEIU antes del 1º de septiembre para la continuación de sus beneficios a través del Fondo, pero usted se puede inscribir antes. Sus beneficios ampliados tendrán vigencia a partir del 1º de octubre. Con el Plan HIP VIP Medicare de 1199SEIU, los jubilados del Condado de Nassau recibirán: • • • • • Cobertura dental y atención de la vista básicas gratuitas Acceso a más de 7,200 proveedores de atención médica en el Condado de Nassau y otros 25,000 en la Ciudad de Nueva York No hay deducible ni copago por la visita al consultorio de atención primaria Sólo un copago de $10 por visitas al consultorio del especialista Cobertura básica de medicamentos recetados Dependiendo de su Fondo, elegibilidad, y años de servicio, usted también puede recibir beneficios suplementarios tales como una cobertura ampliada de medicamentos recetados a través del Fondo. Para obtener mayor información, alentamos a los jubilados del Condado de Nassau que asistan a una de las reuniones informativas de HIP que se llevan a cabo en su área durante los meses de julio o agosto. Los miembros del personal responderán a sus preguntas y le ayudarán a inscribirse en el momento. Para averiguar las fechas y el horario de estas reuniones, o solicitar un paquete de inscripción, sírvase llamar a la línea dedicada de HIP para los jubilados de 1199SEIU al (877) HIP-1199. Si tiene preguntas sobre sus beneficios de salud como jubilado, llame al Fondo al (646) 473-8770. Consulte su Descripción Resumida del Plan (SPD, por sus siglas en inglés) para obtener una descripción completa de la cobertura de sus beneficios. En caso de discrepancias entre el Boletín para Miembros Jubilados y la Descripción Abreviada del Plan, regirán los términos de esta última. Las preguntas para “Pregúntele a su Fondo” pueden ser enviadas por correo electrónico a [email protected], o remitidas por correo regular a: 1199SEIU Retired Members Division, 330 West 42nd Street, 9th Floor, New York NY 10036, Attn: Retired Members Bulletin. The temperature in Florida is rising…tropical summer...balmy days…the heat is on...and so are the wonderful selection of “hot” topics that we have shared this month! Informative speakers recently addressed our Florida Retirees on topics including precautions seniors should take during the flu months and the importance of the flu vaccine for those with “special” needs; preventing falls; and nutrition, during which we examined the new guidelines of the basic food groups and discovered the many concepts of “portion-sizing.” As June 1 marked the beginning of the hurricane season, we asked an official from the Office of Emergency Management to supply the Florida retirees with a list of emergency phone numbers and “specialized medical shelters” where one should register (in advance) in the event of an impending storm. He gave us tips and helpful suggestions. The Broward Chapter sponsored a casino boat trip on the SeaEscape. A wonderful time was had by all who attended! As always, we invite all our Florida Retirees to join us at any of our meetings or special events! Marilyn Silverberg Broward - Leon Davis Chapter Tuesday, August 8th — 12:00 noon Tamarac Library 8701 Commercial Blvd. Tamarac, Florida • West Palm Beach Chapter Wednesday, August 9th –10:00 AM Jewish Community Center (JCC) 3151 North Military Trail (561) 689-7700 • South Palm Beach Chapter No Meeting This Month Temple Emeth 5780 Atlantic Avenue at intersection of Via Flora • Miami-Dade — Ossie Davis Chapter Friday, August 11th –10:30 AM 1525 NW 167th Street Suite 300 Miami, FL • Downtown Orlando Chapter Wednesday, August 16th –10:30 AM Local 8 SEIU Headquarters 7001 Lake Ellenor Drive Orlando, Florida • Orlando - Casselberry Chapter Thursday, August 17th –11:00 AM Casselberry Public Library 215 North Oxford Rd. Casselberry, Florida For information about Florida Chapter meetings, contact Marilyn Silverberg Toll-free: (877) 369-8340 In Palm Beach County: (561) 369-8430 Fax: (561) 369-8342 8775 Via Tuscany Drive, Boyton Beach, FL 33437 No Meeting This Month For more information about North and South Carolinas Chapter Meetings, contact Nonnie B. Perry Phone: (803) 481-0475 There will be no classes or New York City chapter meetings for the month of August. QUESTIONS? CALL: (646) 473-8761 • OUTSIDE NYC: (800) 575-7771 • N & S CAROLINAS CHAPTER NYC CALENDAR & CHAPTER MEETINGS 4 JULY/AUGUST 2006 FLORIDA CHAPTERS QUESTIONS? CALL: (646) 473-8761 • OUTSIDE NYC: (800) 575-7771 JULY/AUGUST 2006 5 4290A.qxd 7/10/06 4:15 PM Page 3 ᒧ FROM T HE DESK OF THE FUND’S MEDICA L DIREC TOR Dr. Celia Shmukler, MD What’s Cooking? With 1199SEIU Members and Retirees We all know that a nutritious diet is an important part of staying healthy. So, to help 1199SEIU members make better food choices, the Benefit Fund has just published What's Cooking?, a healthy recipe cookbook by and for 1199SEIU members and retirees. This collection of nutritious favorites features recipes submitted by working members, retirees and even Union President Dennis Rivera and Fund Executive Director Mitra Behroozi. The cookbook is also filled with healthy eating tips and nutritional information Retirees featured in What’s Cooking? include: Mary Ann Abraczinskas, Horton Medical Center • Belle Agatstein, Albert Einstein College of Medicine • Marie Arnone, Queens-Long Island Medical Group • Maxine Backus, Holliswood Care Center • Kathleen Baird, Brookdale Hospital • Edith Baker, Pathmark Stores, Inc. • Agapita Beninati, Montefiore Medical Center Simone Bethanis, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital • Adele Billig, Joseph Addabbo Health Center • Diana Cabrera, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Hospital for Joint Diseases • Antoinette Cavalluzzi, Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center • Aletha Chaney, Maimonides Medical Center • Bess Charalambakis, Flushing Hospital Medical Center • Joseph Condoluci, Ross Health Care Center, Inc • Marie Csorba, Victory Memorial Hospital • Eloise Damore, Community Hospital of Brooklyn • Elaine Del Valle, Queens Child Guidance Center • Ida Delitsky, Brookdale University • Alton Ewen, Maimonides Medical Center • Marion Farrenkopf, Catholic Medical Center Mitzi Feldman, Brookdale University Hospital • Elizabeth Flynn, St. Vincent’s Hospital • Sara Gale, Beth Israel Hospital • Evelyn Gervais, St. Vincent’s • Sylvia Glick, Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center • Andres Gomez, Daleview Nursing Home Karen Groffel, Bellevue Hospital • Inez Lewis, St. Vincent’s Hospital • Gretel Lobban, Beth Abraham Hospital • Maryann Nassour, Long Island College Hospital Mary Phelan, Peninsula Hospital Center • Carrie Puliatte, New York-Presbyterian Hospital • Gladys Rosenberg, Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center Harvey Rubenstein, Montefiore Medical Center • Sylvia Selterman, First Avenue Pharmacy • Mercedes Sinclair, North General Hospital • Sirarpi Srabian, St. John’s Hospital • Richard Tjaden, Long Island Jewish Medical Center • Victoria Waugh, Interfaith Medical Center • Dolores Weissberg, Coney Island Hospital Shirley Zimbalist, Brookdale University Hospital 6 JULY/AUGUST 2006 A Message from/Mensaje de Mitra Behroozi from a professional nutritionist who evaluated each recipe. To get your own copy, keep an eye out for the Fund’s upcoming nutritional workshops. These workshops will be an opportunity to learn healthy eating guidelines from an expert nutritionist and join in a lively discussion on how to incorporate healthier eating into your lifestyle. You may also be able to purchase them directly in the near future. We’ll let you know when and how. Try This at Home! Salmon with Ginger Salsa (Serves 4) Agapita Beninati, Retired from Montefiore Medical Center, Ardsley, NY 2 mangoes or peaches, diced 1 large tomato, diced 4 scallions, chopped 2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped 2 tsp. fresh ginger, finely minced or 1/2 tsp. ground ginger Juice from one lemon 4 salmon steaks, 6 oz. each Vegetable oil spray Nutritional Content by Serving Calories: 397 Carbohydrates: 22g Sodium: 109mg Cholesterol: 100mg Fiber: 2.8g Fat: 19g Saturated Fat: 3.8g MUFA: 6.7g PUFA: 6.8g Protein: 35.1g In a bowl, mix the first six ingredients to make a salsa. Heat grill and spray with vegetable oil spray. Sprinkle lemon juice over salmon. Grill salmon steaks for 5-6 minutes on each side. Remove salmon from grill and top each steak with salsa. Executive Director of the 1199SEIU Benefit and Pension Funds La Directora Ejecutiva de la Fondo de Beneficios y Pensiones de 1199SEIU Dear Retired Member, Querido Miembro Jubilado, As your Benefit and Pension Funds, we’re always looking for ways to protect your benefits and improve service to you. Because of this, I’m pleased to tell you that in October we’ll be expanding the 1199SEIU HIP VIP Medicare Plan to retirees in Nassau County. Not only does the HIP Plan contain costs for your Funds, it also enhances the benefits that we are able to provide to 1199SEIU retirees – like free basic dental care. Como sus Fondos de Beneficios y Pensiones, siempre estamos buscando formas de proteger sus beneficios y mejorar el servicio que les brindamos. Debido a esto, me complace informarles que en octubre estaremos ampliando el Plan HIP VIP Medicare de 1199SEIU a los jubilados del Condado de Nassau. No sólo el Plan de HIP controla los costos para sus Fondos sino que también mejora los beneficios que podemos brindar a los jubilados de 1199SEIU – como es la atención dental básica gratuita. As you know, we have also devoted a good deal of time and thought into ways to keep you healthy and connected to each other in your retirement. Union members who have been retired for some time may already be familiar with the many ways we have improved our service to you through expanded health coverage, and through new activities and classes. Como ustedes saben, también hemos dedicado una gran cantidad de tiempo y reflexión a encontrar formas para mantenerlos saludables y conectados entre sí en su jubilación. Es posible que los miembros del sindicato que han estado jubilados por algún tiempo ya estén familiarizados con las muchas formas en que hemos mejorado nuestro servicio a ustedes a través de la cobertura ampliada de salud, y por medio de nuevas actividades y clases. Our Benefit Fund is always available, not only to help you get well when you become ill or sustain an injury, but also to aid you in preventing serious illness. As you’ll see on page 6 of this bulletin, one of these ways is helping you maintain a healthy diet. But it can also include sustaining an active, interesting life in retirement. That’s where our Retired Members Division comes in, with its wealth of activities and programs. This is why I was pleased to see so many of you at the Union’s retiree conference in June. Nuestro Fondo de Beneficios siempre está disponible no sólo para ayudarles a mejorarse cuando estén enfermos o sufran una lesión, sino también para ayudarles a prevenir una enfermedad grave. Como pueden ver en la página 6 de este boletín, una de esas formas es ayudarles a mantener una dieta saludable. Pero también puede incluir mantener una vida activa e interesante en la jubilación. Ahí es donde interviene nuestra División de Miembros Jubilados con su abundancia de actividades y programas. Por ello es que me complació ver a tantos de ustedes en la conferencia de jubilados del Sindicato en el mes de junio. We realize that not everyone who wanted to was able to attend the June retiree conference. So if you have any suggestions about how we can improve our services and our retired members programs, please drop us a note at: 1199SEIU Retired Members Division, 9th Floor, 330 West 42nd Street, NY, NY 10036-6977. We’re here to help you. Estamos conscientes de que no todos los que deseaban ir pudieron asistir a la conferencia de jubilados de junio. Por eso si tienen alguna sugerencia sobre cómo podemos mejorar nuestros servicios y programas para miembros jubilados, por favor envíennos una nota a: 1199SEIU Retired Members Division, 9th Floor, 330 West 42nd Street, NY, NY 10036-6977. Estamos aquí para ayudarles. Sincerely, Sinceramente, Nutritionist Recommendation: This recipe is high in omega 3 fatty acids, low in sodium, and a good source of vitamin C because of the salsa. QUESTIONS? CALL: (646) 473-8761 • OUTSIDE NYC: (800) 575-7771 QUESTIONS? CALL: (646) 473-8761 • OUTSIDE NYC: (800) 575-7771 JULY/AUGUST 2006 3