A Place for all the Old Timers to Get Together

 

The Pioneer's Club

The Pioneer’s Club Newsletter

Volume 4, Issue  6

June, 2010

Memorial Day

Obituary Page

We lost five individuals that I am aware of in May. 

They will be missed by who knew them.

 

· Michael L. Hauck (Iron Mike) - Greece, NY, May 1, 2010 at age 61.

· William A. Schult— Spencerport, NY. May 1, 2010 at age 83.

· Sandra L. Clark—Seneca Falls, NY, May 7, 2010 at age 70.

· John F. Mawn—Rochester, NY May 19, 2010 at age 83.

· Donald L. McCormick—Clifton Springs, NY, May 19, 2010

June Events

OK my trusty calendar lists the following events for June.

 

 

June 6—Canadian Armed Forces Day

June 14—Flag Day

June 20– Father’s Day (My Favorite!)

June 21– Summer Solstice (First Day of Summer)

June 24—St Jean Baptiste Day (Quebec)

A Memorial Day Concert

Coming Events

Benefits Information

Since I started this newsletter, I received two or three comments on what I published.  They were mostly about my lack of ability to spell, or an incorrect date.

 

Last month I published a note I received about the current state of benefits at RG&E. Boy did that hit a nerve with the readers of this newsletter.

 

Most of the remarks concerned the efforts to try and get an answer to a question, and a few were questions, and the best one was contained names and email addresses of the people in charge.

 

Sherry Lamoureux, VP of HR for RG&E and NYSEG—(607) 763-8471 in Binghamton

                                                                                                           salamoureux@energyeast.com

 

 

Mark Lynch, President of RGE/NYSEG

 

 

 

There also is a general email address for the benefits department, but I don’t have it.  If someone does, please send it to me so that I can share it with all.

Benefits Comments

I’d like to thank everyone who took a moment to remember our Veterans, those who gave of themselves so that we could continue to maintain our life styles and freedoms.

 

Between 1946 and the takeover by Energy East, there was an RG&E Armed Forces Club. Someone in power, because of this takeover, decided that the Company no longer needed to support or fund this group, so the group dissolved. 

 

The Club’s motto was,” Lest We Forget.” And in keeping with this motto, they conducted two services to remember those RG&E Veterans who gave their lives for us. One on Memorial Day & one on Veterans Day.

 

I, for one, miss these services.  They were open to attendance by anyone.  They were usually attended by all the Company Offices and those individuals wishing to say thank you.

 

The Club also started some traditions which were originally set up for “Vet’s Club Members”, but proved to be so popular that they were opened to attendance by all Company Employees. The Children’s Christmas Party and the Family Picnic at Sea Breeze are just some of the events.

 

I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I was told that at some meeting discussing funding someone said, “Why should we give a bunch of old men money to sit around and drink beer.”

 

I guess that person never stands on Memorial Day or Veterans Day and says, “thank you.”

 

But I guess that they complain about 9/11 and all the other things that people died for, that they take for granted.

 

OK, I’ll put my soap box away. But those people still upset me.

One of the women who plays in the RG&E Band, Marcia Najjar, also plays in the Town of Greece’s Band.

 

They held a Memorial Day Concert at the Town Hall.  It was on the lawn under a huge tent with seating for the audience. I attended and it was great!

 

The band is part of the Greece Performing Arts Series and you can get the schedule of concerts at the Town Hall by clicking here.

 

The entire schedule for the Greece Performing Arts Society can be viewed by clicking here.

The Pioneers Picnic is getting close! As in past, it will be held on Thursday August  5, 2010 at Barnard Exempt.

 

We are still working on the price and menu, so I can’t elaborate on it yet.

 

In an effort to keep costs to the club down we will only be mailing invitations to those individuals without e-mail address. 

 

So if you are getting this newsletter, you won’t get a mailed invite.

 

 

Here are a sampling of some of the comments I received,  If you take the time to read them, you’ll discover just how badly the RG&E/NYSEG Benefits department needs reform. 

 

Or even scarier, it’s how the powers to be want it to be.

 

Hi Tom,

I am not sure if all retirees are aware of the 1999 rule in regards to our medical insurance.

I found that some retirees pay $100.00 per month less than other retirees for their spouse.

It was explained to me by Debbie at our benefits office,( By the way, It took three days for someone to get back to me) that if you retired before 1999 you would pay $100.00 per month more than retirees that retired after 1999.

The benefit is called " Monthly flexible credit dollars" 

Please pass this on in your next news letter.

 ————————————————————————————————————

I talked to the Benefits Center Friday about my retirement medical insurance and I was told that the plan I was on before I retired would cost me $605 until July and then increase to $673. This is hardly the 50% increase that Tim warned about. The signup info should be coming either this week or perhaps next week. Now that is for people that were in USS or now it's called IUMC, so maybe it's different for other OpCos.

—————————————————————————————————————

This is in response to Tim Browne's medical expenses when retiring.

'Tom Alexander retired in 2000 & we started out paying $300/yr. Just before Tom turned 65 we were paying over $1,400; now we're paying a little over $900/yr + we pay SS a qrtrly amt. It's still OUTRAGEOUS!.

It should go down greatly when my wife turns 65 in Nov, 2010.  And I want to say this  started way before Obama!'  Please pass this on to anyone interested in reading it. 

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Tom:

 

    I'm in the same boat as Tim.  I thought that the $242 would be subtracted from the new premium at a later point, but it looks like I'm is saying the $242 contribution has already been accounted for in the new monthly premium,  is that correct? 

Thanks

———————————————————————————————

In response to Tim Browne's letter, I also called when I first received my notice of Health Benefit's cost..Got the runaround and never really an answer...It is based on what the companies decide the cost will be to them and the employees involved...My wife and myself also "had" the BC 25 and have now switched to the MVP Basix HMO....No Choice because of the cost involved..I always carried BC, but because of the increase time for an unwanted change...However if the Obama plan goes through, it might be cheaper to pay the $1000.00 fine compared to the cost per month/year of medical insurance to be carried by us....  I wonder what would happen if "WE" all said Up Yours....  The one good thing is I enrolled in the VA, which I suggest all veterans do ASAP before the rules change again, at least then you will be in the system....

—————————————————————————————————————-

Tom, first thanks for all you are doing!

 

Second, I was also shocked at the damn significant increase in the health programs. Can you imagine RGE getting a rate increase each year of such magnitude!

 

I would suggest everyone contacting Schumer and Gillibrand in both their Rochester and Washington offices along with Joe Robach and "cc" Ms Lamoreaux

Since the deadline is fast approaching I guess we will have to sign by the 7th and hope that maybe pressure from Schumer et al can make a difference after that.

 

I wonder what an active RGE employee pays? Maybe we should ask

—————————————————————————————————————————

 

Tom,

I'm being lazy by asking you this rather than search through all the past information you have sent out.  Do you have a contact number at the main office for benefits?  I just receive our new health care coverage info and was shocked to see the huge increase associated with the BC 25.  It went up 77% for the single policy.  When I compare the other plans, they have a modest increase or in some cases a decrease from last year.  I just want to ask to be sure there wasn't a miss print in the premium amount for the BC 25 single, the single plus one and the family each increased by approximately 47%. 

Thank you for any help you can give and for all the work you and your staff do to get the monthly news out to all us old timers.

 

———————————————————————————————

So these were just a sample of the comments I received from those retirees who took the time to write.

 

There seems to be a common theme to them. #1 is cost, #2 is lack of information, and #3 is getting an answer to the question asked in a timely manor, and finally “getting a person to answer the question” that will give us confidence in the answer.

 

 

It’s Not Your Father’s RG&E

OK, since I’m on the RG&E bashing rant, I must point out one more area that has changed and that is Customer Care.

 

I live in an apartment house. The apartment next to me went vacant and they outgoing tenant had the service discontinued.

 

The new tenant moved in on a weekend and was told they could not get  reinstated until Monday.  When Monday rolled around, they got a phone call that their service would not be connected until Tuesday.

 

It was connected Tuesday afternoon.

 

While we worry about our benefits, it’s un-nerving to see how RG&E treats Customers.

 

Many years ago, I was taught that “Selling Your Product” and “Treating Your Customers like Kings” were keys to growing your business.

 

I guess that doesn’t apply to the utility business where if your customer base goes down, you just apply for a rate increase. You don’t need to service new customers to increase your bottom line.

 

Maybe the current management will wake up and address these issues before their Customers hold a “Torch Light Parade up to their Castle Walls” as in the old horror movies.

 

A Little History—1928 Service Offer