Open letter from the National President of FSNA February 23, 2010

Fellow members of FSNA, The past few weeks have seen a flurry of information in the media concerning pensions and many of you have expressed your concern. The upcoming budget is expected to see the government follow through on its commitment not to raise taxes and to continue with its economic stimulus package.

One possible avenue upon which the current government may wish to act: reducing program expenditures.  There has been much speculation about which programs the government will target. The public service and its pensions have been in the news as one of the areas being considered. However, other major expenditure areas are also being discussed, for example, the Canada Health Transfer to provinces and territories.

FSNA's core mission is to protect the rights and enhance the benefits of dues-paying members who are annuitants or spouses of annuitants. Our advocacy efforts have traditionally concentrated on this core mission.  FSNA's National Board of Directors (NBOD) and National office (NO) are  constantly monitoring the political environment to bring to the forefront issues that could potentially threaten the rights of our members or provide an opportunity to enhance their benefits. None of the media reports that have been reviewed at the time of this writing (February 23, 2010) provide any meaningful indication that the government is preparing to open the respective superannuation acts to take measures regarding pensions already being paid to annuitants.

Speculation can take the pension reform and budget into many directions and areas. However, our analysis of the facts, as they have been reported and collected, does not lead us to believe that there is an immediate reason for concern for current annuitants. Given this assessment, FSNA action at this time, would be premature.

However, many of the articles in the media and interventions by public sector union leaders suggest to us that the government may be considering measures that could have an impact on those who are still in the federal work force. Your NBOD and NO are following the progress of this discourse very closely.

Our advocacy rounds in late November and early December with officials from Treasury Board confirmed that the government will be scrutinizing all programs in order to identify fiscally prudent measures that will balance the needs of taxpayers, past and present.  The objects of our Association permit it to advocate measures beneficial to annuitants and potential annuitants and oppose measures inimical to the same. FSNA supports all endeavours that will result in the protection of the superannuation acts for current annuitants and for future annuitants. However, FSNA's advocacy is carried out first and foremost in the interest of its current members who are annuitants or spouses of annuitants.

At the time of this writing, your Association, through its NBOD and NO, are encouraging our partners who represent those public servants who are currently contributing to federal pension plans to consider all impacts and act in the best interest of all involved.

Please rest assured that FSNA's NBOD and NO are here to protect your rights as members. Information is being collected and analysed daily (see note 1). NBOD will act should that analysis give us cause to believe that the rights of our members, who are annuitants and their spouses, are threatened in any way.  We will remain vigilant over this matter and we will keep you informed as events unfold. Should you have any further concerns, we ask you to direct them to our Executive Director, Sylvia Ceacero at sceacero@fsna.com.

Yours truly,