Saskatchewan Retirees Association Inc.

With Strength in Numbers, This Association will work for you!

It has been a number of months since we last issued a Gazette and updated you on what has been happening regarding our Pension activities.  The main reason for this quiet period has been our waiting for a judgement on our request for ¡°Certification¡± as a ¡°Class Action ¡± group.   Well, after a little more than a year, our request for ¡°Certification¡± finally came. The seventy-six page judgement from the judge appears to very strongly endorse our request.  According to the Government lawyer in charge of the Provincial side, the decision of the court was a major ¡°blow¡± to their position.

I am disappointed however, that the government chose not to accept this decision and begin to negotiate a resolution to this long standing issue. Instead, on the very last day of the time period allotted for an appeal, the government filed documents to seek to overturn the judgement of ¡°Certification¡± granted by the judge.

The appeal request will be heard on May 24. At this time the representatives of the Government will argue, before the Appeal Court, their reasons why they believe an error or misinterpretation of law was made or why they believe the requirements for ¡°Class Action¡± were not met.  At the same hearing, our lawyers will argue that they are wrong and that the ¡°Certification¡± judgment¡± of the Court is fair and right.

We are advised that a decision by the Appeal Court should be available almost immediately after the hearing, but certainly within a week of its conclusion. There is a relatively strong feeling that the Government may not be granted permission to appeal.

If the Government does win the right to appeal, then this process will result in an unnecessary and annoying delay of our claim. However, we are hopeful that this process would not be unduly lengthy

If the Government is denied the right to appeal, then the claim could proceed almost immediately. Under this scenario we would anticipate that there would be some attempt by the Court to try and get a resolution prior to a full all-out court proceeding.

If asked by the Court, your Association is prepared to sit down with the Government and try to work out an acceptable resolution of this problem. There are a number of basic concerns that we would put on the table but some, such as, ¡°Pension indexing¡± are not negotiable and must be established in Legislation¡±. We do not see any chance of accepting any settlement that is not established in law as we fear we would be back with the same problem in a year or so after settlement day.

This now provides you with a complete up-date summary of where we are at the present time. We believe we are starting to make some real headway with our claim. It is important that we keep to the main objective and stay the course. We believe we are RIGHT and we will PREVAIL.

We will keep you advised as specific events unfold.

Have a good, safe and enjoyable summer.

Alf  Zimmerman

President

Time For Action !!!

For some reason the Government of Saskatchewan has a very low opinion of former public servants who are now retired. The government has consistently and repeatedly stonewalled, ignored, dismissed and basically ridiculed our every attempt to improve our pension benefits. While all other provincial governments in Canada, including the so called have not provinces, have made improvements to the pension plans of their former employees, this government has chosen not to do so.

The latest kick in the teeth from Mr. Calvert and company has been to appeal the decision of the judge who granted us ¡°certification¡± as a ¡°class action¡± group. Mr. Calvert could have and still could chose to negotiate a solution to the issues we have been fighting for over the past many years, especially legislated indexing of our pensions. But he did not and has decided this matter needs to be dragged out in the courts. I believe he has taken this route because I feel he views retired public servants as a bunch of dawdling old fools who have no power or influence. This government seems intent to see us to our graves before it so much as improves our pension benefits.  Well we may be old, but we are not dawdling and we are not fools. The time has come to take a stand and make a serious point with Mr. Calvert. We need to let him know we aren¡¯t just going to lie down and die.   We need to meet him on the doorstep of the Palace and let him know we are not ready to give up.

For this reason your Board of Directors has concluded that it is time to rally around our cause at the Legislative Building. Our plan is to have the Rally coincide with our annual meeting if at all possible and depending on the outcome of the Appeal.Co.Coordinators will be informed as soon as this decision has been finalized.  They will then advise you of the decision and will coordinate the travel plans for your area. 

There is no doubt we will need a ¡°BIG¡± turnout if we are to have an impact. How ¡°BIG¡± an impact we make, will depend on your ability and readiness to let the government know we mean business. The SRA Association will do everything possible to subsidize some of the costs and especially for those who would like to attend but cannot afford to do so. We will be looking at using buses where there are significant numbers who want to attend and car pooling in other areas.

Chris Pasloske