POINTS TO PONDER
Issue 02-15
From your Federation President
NARFE Members of California:
REFERENDUM ON SINGLE DUES: At the National Convention,
Membership Resolution No. 02-118 was adopted by a 2/3 vote. This Resolution
requires National Headquarters to issue a referendum concerning single dues.
When the referendum is issued it will go to all chapters for a vote.
Basically, the referendum will reflect the conditions as stated in the resolution
which are reiterated as follows:
(1) Single dues will be $30.00 a year with $18.00 retained by National, $2.00 goes
to the Federation and $10.00 will go to the chapter, as chapter dues.
Not stated in the resolution, but this means that every member will pay $30.00 per
year. Chapters who wish to charge more than $10.00 chapter dues, would have to
assess their members that amount in excess of $10.00.
As a point of information, your California Executive Board concurs with the Single
Dues concept of $30.00 per member and feels this is necessary for the future of our
Association. However, some additional things need to be considered and hopefully
these will be included in the referendum when issued.
(1) Current National Only members (LSA Members) should be "grandfathered in"
and continue to pay only National Dues, which is currently $20.00.
(2) Current Life Members recognized as such by both National and by their Chapter
would not be affected, thus no change.
(3) Current Life Members of National, but not Life Members of Chapters would, in
most cases, have an increase in their chapter dues.
These last three items will be presented to National, via our National Field Vice President,
to assist in preparing the referendum.
I want to emphasize the fact that this proposal does not increase the National Dues, nor
does it increase the monies that go to the Federation. It does, however, provide more
funds for most chapters, which then allows the chapters to publish a newsletter, subsidize
their members for attending conventions, district meetings, and training. The important
issue here is that this proposal standardizes the dues for the entire Association.
Some members will complain that $30 a year is too much money for dues. I want to
remind you that the dues for our assocation is cheap insurance for the benefits that
members derive from being a member of NARFE, the only Association who fights to
maintain our earned federal retirement benefits. I want to further point out that even
the 1.4% COLA that we will be receiving this year more than pays for an annual dues
of $30. For example, if your annuity were $10,000 a year; the 1.4% COLA results in
$140 for the year and you continue to receive your COLA every year. For those members
who complain about $30 annual dues, they can sign up for dues withholding which makes
$2.50 a month much easier to deal with. (Besides the Federation will reimburse $10 to
members who sign up for dues withholding, when they forward a copy of the signed DW-2
Form to our Federation Treasurer.)
The purpose of this paper is to give you a heads-up on the forthcoming referendum, along
with the rationale for the referendum, and to allow time to discuss the merits of a single
dues proposal with the members of your chapter.
Till Next Time ....
Lea D. Zajac, Your California Federation President
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