Maine Alliance for Retired Americans Chapter Relaunches at COPE Convention

Union members at the COPE Convention last week relaunched the Maine Chapter of the Alliance for Retired Americans, an AFL-CIO organization for retirees. The group adopted revised bylaws and elected a new President, Chris McKinnon (MEA) as well as Vice President Gerry Gay (IAFF), Recording Secretary Elizabeth O’Connor (AFSCME) and Treasurer Dave Projansky (MSEA).

As an affiliate of the national Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA), the Maine chapter will work to protect and strengthen retirement security by championing essential programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. The relaunch of the Maine chapter is also an opportunity to strengthen Labor’s voice on issues that matter to Maine's retirees, including pensions, prescription drug costs, retirement savings, and age discrimination. McKinnon said one of his goals for the organization is to ally with other community organizations to fight for economic justice.

“I'm imagining a Maine alliance that is active in all of the struggles that people are engaged in to improve life for working-class people,” he said. “We also want to recruit union affiliates to our organization.”

The group meets on the last Monday of the month. ARA-Maine’s next meeting is at the end of July. If you would like to join, email Chris McKinnon: cnmckinnon24@gmail.com