UPDATE - Sunday Sept. 17th:

The date quoted in this article for the online survey has been changed from September 18th to the 29th to the September 25th – October 5th timeframe

In addition the link to the survey is no longer valid, a new link will be made available to us mid to end of this week.

Lisa Callaghan informed us this weekend that the organization tasked with setting up the online survey was unable to get it set up in time for the original date.

 

The article below will be altered to reflect these changes including removal of the website link. We will send out another update as soon as more info comes in.

Lisa has verified that the Oct. 4th presentation is still a go.

 
 

This article will primarily be of interest to Unifor Local 27 GM retirees, we are asking you to pass the information in this email to other Local 27 GM retirees who may not attend our meetings or may not receive email notifications from us.

 

As Chair of the Unifor retirees' chapter, I received a number of emails from Lisa Callaghan, CEO of the asrTrust , and Dawn Harlow, Manager of Operations and Strategic Relationships of the asrTrust (the trust that handles the financials of our GM health benefits). Details of these communications are as follows:

A brief synopsis of the ongoing communications:

In mid-August the retiree Chairs from Unifor locals received an email from Lisa Callaghan to the effect that:

• Lisa and Dawn wished to have a one-on-one with the retiree Chairs in Sept. to discuss the upcoming changes to the asrTrust plan, how to communicate this information to the chapters and how to obtain feedback from the membership.
  
• The asrTrust would be setting up an online survey so members could voice their opinions and concerns about the future of the plan (the online survey is scheduled to be available to complete from (September 25th – October 5th)
  
• Greenshield is to send emails out to members informing them of the survey.
  
• Retiree Chairs are to inform their chapter members of the survey as well as other details
  
• Lisa and Dawn have requested time at our Oct. chapter meeting to meet with the membership.

The executive has/is taking the following steps:

• We are sending out the latest communication from Lisa concerning the September 25th – October 5th online survey as well as a synopsis of the asrTrust's board of director's plans (see below in blue)
  
• We are asking fellow GM retirees to consider changes or alterations to the benefits plan that they might deem valuable. For example, one member is interested in better coverage for diabetic supplies and accessories.
  
• We urge GM retirees to either make these wishes known in the online survey or pass them along to us (membership privacy will be paramount).
  
• Two members of the executive, Peter Kearney and Rick Eagar, will be meeting with Lisa and Dawn on Sept. 21st where we will pass along and discuss any requests from the membership.
  
• Lisa and Dawn will be giving us a presentation at our October 4th chapter meeting: they will be listening to our concerns, discussing the asrTrust's plan for the next 5 to 10 years and any changes they are considering.
  

Once again I urge the GM retirees to fill in the survey or pass your thoughts along to Peter or myself.

We also urge Local 27 GM retirees to attend the October 4th chapter meeting and inform any non-regular members of this meeting's guest speakers.

 

VERY IMPORTANT:

Due to the asrTrust presentation, we may have a larger than normal attendance for this meeting. It is vitally important that anyone attending the meeting informs the executive of their attendance and if they will be staying for lunch, we need to assure that we have sufficient seating and food for all.

If you invite someone who is not in regular attendance please make sure they let us know they are coming!

Please contact Peter or Rick by email or phone.

 

Letter from Lisa Callaghan: (UPDATED)

asrTrust wants your input!

We want to hear your thoughts to guide us in our plans for the future. asrTrust invites you to complete an anonymous and confidential 10 to 15-minute survey for members and their families, online in the 2-week period from Monday September 25th – October 5th, 2023 at:

website link to be made available shortly

AsrTrust takes our mission seriously - to provide you with a sustainable and valuable retiree health benefit plan that enhances your lives. As we look towards the next 5 to 10 years, we want to explore how we can provide additional support to you beyond covering the cost of your benefits. This could include:

- more education on effective plan use, and/or health topics such as how best to age at home.

- connections to local community programs that support healthy lifestyles.

- advocacy for changes to government policy that will directly and positively impact you.

Your views are valuable to help shape asrTrust plans to support your overall health and wellbeing in retirement, in addition to covering your benefit claims. Please note that results from this survey will not change the current coverage you receive from your plans.

If you have any issues accessing or completing the survey, please contact the project coordinator at tierneym@pmgintelligence.com.

 

Details of our chapter meeting

Time: Wednesday, October 4th, 10 a.m.

Lunch: Sandwich Platters, pickles, cookies, chips.

Guest Speaker: Lisa Callaghan and Dawn Harlow from the asrTrust will give us a report on updates to the plan.

 

Once again, if you or someone you invite plans on attending and staying for lunch, please let us know!

You can reply to this email or contact Rick or Peter at the email address or phone numbers listed above.

Hope to see a good turnout!

Rick Eagar for the Unifor Local 27 retirees chapter executive