Ask Richard Raymond to explain the value of defined-benefit pension plans, and he'll tell you about his grandfather. "He left me a $700 legacy in the 1950s and I put it in the bank," said the delegate of NYSUT Retiree Council 5 in Monroe County. "It's now worth around $80,000."

The payoff he enjoys, simply by allowing his assets to grow, underscores the value of pension plans for Raymond, who terms the money a "solid, guaranteed asset - like a pension plan."

Raymond is one of scores of retiree leaders who traveled to NYSUT headquarters for the Retiree Contiguous Election District Meeting in October.

Delegates gathered to approve resolutions for the 2007 Representative Assembly in April.

Preserving public pensions was the focus of a NYSUT workshop outlining differences between defined-benefit and defined-contribution plans and addressing misconceptions about pensions. "Think of retirement as a three-legged stool," said NYSUT legislative staffer Patrick Lyons. "Your company pension is one leg, personal savings another and Social Security and Medicare the third. Two of those legs are being undermined."

"The presentation was a real eye opener," said Loretta Donlon, ED 51 director. "He provided some solid facts that we can all use to counteract attacks made on pension plans - preserving pensions is a centerpiece of the work of the councils."

With midterm elections coming, political action was a hot topic. Lyons highlighted key congressional and statewide races in a political action workshop designed to focus retiree campaign efforts.

In a lunchtime address to delegates, NYSUT Vice President Kathleen Donahue termed retirees "NYSUT's greatest political asset."

"Retirees can always be counted on to answer the union call when it comes to political action, whether it be attending rallies, staffing phone banks or stuffing envelopes," Donahue said. "Thank you for your ongoing support."

Retirees in RC 17, Nassau County, where John Cooney and Sheila Goldberg serve as co-presidents, exemplify Donahue's praise.

"We've been doing a big push for phone banking in the Jericho office," said Cooney. "Our members have been working hard on behalf of  NYSUT-endorsed candidates."

Delegates also heard from Joshua Klein, a representative from the Medicare Rights Center, who outlined changes to the Medicare Part D prescription plan.

- Kara E. Smith