HISTORY OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES RETIREES ASSOCIATION (ASPEN)
The purpose of this note is to establish the sequence of events that led to the creation of the Organization of American States Retirees Association (ASPEN).
• In 1987, Mr. Michael Zuntz and Yuri approached the Retirement and Pension Committee (Committee) to request representation on the Committee on behalf of AROAS.
The Committee declined, stating that there was no need for such representation.
• As conditions within the Organization began to change, a process that accelerated after 1995, due to my intimate knowledge not only of the Organization but also of the Retirement and Pension Fund, I began to consider the importance of having some mechanism for retirees to have an idea of how things were going regarding the Fund in case intervention was necessary.
• On one hand, AROAS was in place, but on the other hand, AROAS was open to anyone who had served in the Organization for a minimum of 5 years. Furthermore, AROAS did not include children and spouses. Based on these facts, I discussed the issue with Mrs. Elba Kybal, who was president of AROAS in 2002-2003. As a result, we suggested to the Board the idea of establishing a Liaison position to be able to approach the Fund Office for information in case a problem arose that could affect retirees.
• The Board approved the concept and appointed Mrs. Regina Arriaga as Liaison. Mrs. Arriaga had just retired and was quite familiar with the Retirement and Pension Plan (Plan), as well as the Fund.
• Mrs. Kybal then communicated the Board's decision to the Committee and requested permission to have such a role.
• At its meeting on June 17, 2003, the Committee expressed:
1. That it was an internal decision of AROAS and as such did not require Committee participation.
2. That although it was a good idea to learn about issues affecting retirees, they were well protected and did not need any involvement, especially since AROAS included many participants who had severed all ties with the Fund and therefore were not affected by any retiree-related issues.
3. A participant in the meeting suggested that, given the growing importance of retirees in the Fund, further exploration of the issue should be undertaken to see how retirees, as a group, could have some form of access.
• In 2004, after my retirement and having opted for a pension, AROAS, now chaired by Mr. Domingo Acevedo, invited me to replace Mrs. Arriaga, who expressed her desire to resign for a while.
• It was in this context that, with the support of Mr. Acevedo, as well as Mrs. Eva Chesneau and Mr. Alfredo Fontes, I proceeded to seek and discuss alternatives with members of the Committee, including its chairman.
• The Committee indicated that a group representing retirees directly and properly elected by them could be considered.
• Within the aforementioned framework, I invited a group of retirees in early 2006 to think together. Although several retirees were contacted, the initial members who agreed to participate in this exploratory group were:
Regina Arriaga
Raul Sanguinetti
Manuel Metz
Eva Chesneau
Berta Peredo
Manuel Velasco
Hugo Galdame
Julio Fernandez
• As a result of the group's work, the idea of establishing an association with the very limited purpose of representing retirees and their interests in that capacity emerged to make it more acceptable to the Committee. In searching for a name, a group member suggested ASPEN (for Association of Pensioners).
• In June 2006, ASPEN held its first Annual Assembly following the procedures required as established in its bylaws. It was understood that ASPEN could only have a role as Observers with voice but without vote.
• In July 2006, Raul Sanguinetti and I as Observers were received by the Committee, who considered our approach acceptable since we had established a mechanism by which retirees and Observers were properly elected by the Association, an exercise that has continued to the present.
• Due to the nature of ASPEN:
1. It includes retirees from all institutions that sponsored the Plan.
2. All retirees are automatically members of ASPEN, including spouses and children of deceased retirees who are entitled to a pension.
END OF STORY