UFCW Local 653 Goes Outside the Box to Protect the Pensions of Union Members
By Filiberto Nolasco Gomez, Workday Minnesota
June 18, 2018
BROOKLYN CENTER
UFCW Local 653 (link is external) President Matt Utecht began thinking about the solvency of the members private pension plan about two years ago at church. He had come to know an older couple in their late 70s. The gentlemen of the pair was a proud retired union member who consistently wore his union branded clothing to service.
One day, Utecht approached the older couple, observing that they looked upset. They had recently found out that the husbands multiemployer pension plan had lost a substantial portion of its value.
Their situation hit Utecht hard, as the couple reminded him of his own parents. Utecht remembered thinking,
Here is this proud old-timer who has given the best years of his life to an employer and had counted on a retirement benefit, and had just found out that his benefit would be reduced by half. He was so defeated and dejected. When they are supposed to enjoying the time they have left together, devastation hits, Utecht said.
FULL story:
https://www.workdayminnesota.org/articles/ufcw-local-653-goes-outside-box-protect-pensions-union-members