History - page 4 of 4
Building on success years: 2000 - 2008
During this period, FSNA has expanded and improved services to members e.g. through the implementation of a long-term care insurance plan, the negotiation of a number of new affinity programs, the consolidation of the health benefits officers network that provides information to members on health and dental benefits issues, the publication of a survivor’s handbook and an increasing amount of information in the quarterly ON GUARD newsletter.
FSNA’s advocacy activities cover all matters of relevance to retirees as well as seniors in general. These activities are carried out in many ways through annual meetings with federal Cabinet Ministers and senior government officials, through presentations to Senate and House of Commons committees and other bodies, through lobbying of provincial governments, through meetings with heads of major federal bargaining units, and through consultation with other seniors’ organizations.
Through the Congress of National Seniors Organizations, FSNA has been an advocate for the creation of a federal seniors’ secretariat that would develop comprehensive policies, programs, and activities for the benefit of Canada’s aging population. In early 2007, the government established a National Seniors Council to advise it on seniors’ issues of national importance. FSNA’s former Executive Director was appointed as the first Chair of this council.
FSNA continues to express its opposition to the OAS clawback and to lobby for income tax amendments. FSNA was among the seniors’ organizations lobbying the government for the pension income splitting measure that was implemented in 2007.
As one of the three governing partners of the PSHCP, FSNA acquired new responsibilities, including a role in the renegotiation of the PSHCP agreement. FSNA representatives have still been appointed on various committees such as the PS and the CF pension advisory committees and the Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan (PDSP) Board. The dental plan for pensioners that was implemented in 2001 is a major achievement for FSNA, which advocated for such a plan for more than 10 years. The plan was obtained through careful and diligent representation and negotiation.
In 2004, FSNA created the position of provincial advocacy officer (PAO) to establish communication links with appropriate provincial government officials and other seniors’ groups, to advocate on behalf of FSNA members and other seniors.
FSNA was among the 16 plaintiffs that took part in the 2005-2007 court proceedings pertaining to the Canadian government’s decision to take the $30-billion surplus accumulated in the Canadian Forces, Public Service, and RCMP superannuation accounts.
A new FSNA governance model aimed at providing members and branches with greater opportunities to influence policy was approved by delegates at the 2007 Triennial Convention.
The most noticeable change is likely to be the updating of FSNA’s branding, to better reflect today’s realities. While keeping its FSNA acronym, the Association complied with its members’ wishes and changed its “Federal Superannuates National Association” tag line to read “National Association of Federal Retirees”. As of the spring of 2008, FSNA is also representing itself with a new logo and new colours throughout its publications and redesigned Web site.
Keys to success
Since it was established in 1963, FSNA has grown in size from fewer than 2,000 to more than 160,000 members in 2008.
It has gone, in stages, from a strictly volunteer-run organization, operating from the residence of the National Secretary-Treasurer in Victoria, to an Association with a National office, a skeleton staff and a volunteer research directorate, to one that has a full-time professional staff, a role in the administration of plans relating to all federal public sector pensioners, and recognition as one of the leading seniors’ groups in Canada.
The willingness of volunteer branch members to serve the interests of fellow pensioners has been a major reason for FSNA’s success.
