Clubs across the country let old friends stay in contact, keep tabs on pension fund.

You can teach old dogs new tricks.  Retired Greyhound employees have recently been pulling together across the country.  Union retiree clubs now meet in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Reno, Boston, Tulsa, Minneapolis, Kansas City/Omaha, Myrtle Beach, and Portland, Oregon.

Besides providing a connection with old friends and coworkers, the clubs allow retirees to keep track of the company’s now-frozen, defined-benefit retirement plan. The trust fund – established with Greyhound and participant contributions – has continued to pay benefits to about 10,000 retirees, thanks largely to steady growth in the financial markets.

The current economic crisis has many retirees worried about the future of their monthly pension checks. No one knows when the economy will recover, but the ATU Local 1700 contract, the federal Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and other federal laws protect retirees. Under current law, Greyhound will probably be required to make additional contributions to shore up the fund.

After Congress deregulated the intercity bus industry in 1982, one of the first casualties was our right to participate in the company pension plan. Deregulation, Greyhound’s downsizing, the ban on new participants in the retirement plan, and the need for many employees to keep working have slowed the growth of retiree clubs.

Times are changing. President Obama has called for strengthening unions to increase the possibilities for a decent retirement through defined-benefit pension plans. A national Greyhound Retiree Association working with ATU Local 1700 would be a powerful force on this issue.

Former ATU Greyhound Council President Paul Owsley, currently serving as Plan Administrator for the Pension Trust, is the de facto keeper of contact information on the retiree clubs. He can be reached at the Trust office (800) 962-6934 for information about a club near you, or information on how you can help establish a club