ABOUT US

 

MEMBERSHIP IN SSPO IS OPEN TO:

 

►      Pensioners

►      Surviving Spouses Of Pensioners

►      Current Employees (who are members of the Salaried Pension Plan)

►      Retired Salaried Non-Pension Benefits Participants in Health Benefits (group medical, life, and dental) – often referred to as the Partial Wind-up Group (1996).

 

 

MANDATE - STEL SALARIED PENSIONERS ORGANIZATION (SSPO Inc.)

 

OUR AGENDA

Ensure that Stelco salaried pension plan members are treated fairly by the plan(s) administrator (Stelco Inc.), Governments, and Government regulatory agencies.

 

OUR MISSION

Protect the basic pensions of the salaried retired members of the following Ontario registered plans as well as Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB’s).

 

GOVERNANCE

The governance structure of SSPO is as defined and regulated by SSPO By-law, dated February 25, 2006.

 

WHO WE REPRESENT

Salaried SSPO members in good standing, of the following Ontario registered defined benefit plans:

 

            Works                                                                        Registered Plan Number

            Stelco Inc. (Hilton Works/StelcoTower) *                     338509

            Stelco Inc. (Lake Erie Steel Co.) *                                   698753

            Stelpipe Ltd. *                                                                      1017177

Stelwire**                                                                              697292

            Welland Pipe Ltd.*                                                              1017185

 

                        Note:    *Now US Steel Canada

                                    ** Now Mital Canada

 

COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE MEMBERSHIP

SSPO communicates with members in good standing through annual membership meetings, and periodically by e-mail, regular mail, and posting on the SSPO Website.  

 

OUR MANDATE

·        Communicate with members in good standing, US Steel Canada (formerly Stelco), the media, governments, politicians and other groups as required.

·        Maximize membership.

·        Raise funds to cover expenses.

·        Monitor developments in the pension field, and gather information to better understand the options for members of a defined benefit pension plan.

·        Participate in a joint Pension Advisory Committee with Salaried Active Members and, appoint committee members to act on behalf of pensioners.

·        Interact and collaborate with other pensioners’ organizations that represent members of defined benefit plans.

·        Closely monitor Stelco salaried pension and benefits plans.

·        Initiate political, legal and/or lobbyist action as required, to protect the pensions & benefits of our members.

 

 

 

CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE SSPO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

 

 

 

SSPO BOARD MEMBERS SITTING ON THE PENSION ADVISORY COMMITTEE

 

Gary Dallin

George Hanson

Wayne Hill

Pat Mousseau

Dennis Wright

 

 

SSPO BOARD MEMBERS SITTING ON THE CANADIAN FEDERATION OF PENSIONERS STEERING COMMITTEE

 

Dennis Wright

Pat Mousseau

 

 

FUNDING

SSPO finances its operations through annual membership fees.  The current annual membership fee is $25.  Every member shall pay a one-time initial membership fee of $50, which includes the first year membership fee.    The Organization can make allowance for Hardship cases should they express their inability to pay the full amount of fees requested of members in the form of a letter to the board.

 

SSPO only communicates with members in “good standing”.   A member in “good standing” is one who has paid his annual membership fee.

 

 

To Join SSPO use our convenient Self Registration or Contact Us

 

Inform A Friend a friend of our Website.

 

 

NOTE:

 

Please do not ask us legal questions.  Although the Organization does have access to legal advice, resources are limited. 

 

The information provided on our website is offered as a service to our members and should not be relied upon as specific legal or financial services advice. Many factors unknown to us may affect the applicability of any statement or comment made on our website to your particular circumstances.

 

OUR HISTORY

Since its inception in the Fall of 2003, SSPO has remained a non-profit organization established by a group of volunteer pensioners who, first of all, hope that US Steel Canada (formerly Stelco Inc.) thrives and prospers for many years.  Members of the SSPO Board Of Directors are all long time employees, now retired, who are Stelco supporters. We have no agenda other than to see salaried pensioners treated fairly in whatever the future holds.

 

In July 2003, due to rising concerns about Stelco’s financial health the state of funding of Stelco’s various pension plans, and amid reports of a need to reduce “legacy costs”, a small group of retiree volunteers (formerly known as the Steering Committee) formed the Stel Salaried Pensioners Organization (SSPO) to defend our pensions and benefits. The ongoing financial crisis that Stelco faced at that time poised serious risks for the long-term viability of not only Stelco, but its Pension and Benefit Plans.  This raised serious concerns for the long-term survival of our Pension and Health Benefits (group medical, life, and dental) Plans, and the personal financial security of each Plan member.   There was an obvious need for Pensioners to be organized, and be prepared to act as a large group to protect our vested interests in a timely fashion as the need arises.

 

We began by asking retirees to become members of SSPO by signing up on our website, and over 1200 had done so by the time Stelco sought bankruptcy protection (CCAA) on January 29, 2004.    The original SSPO Steering Committee was endorsed by an overwhelming majority of the voting members in early January 2004.  Today we have over 1900 memberships.

 

Founding members of the SSPO Steering Committee, September 2003 – March 31, 2006

 

Name                         Position at Retirement

Gary A. Beaudoin     Manager, Metallurgy, R&D, QA - HW R&B

Gary Dallin                 Manager, Metallurgy & QA, HW Rolling & Finishing

Richard Dowdy          Special Duties Superintendent

Bob Faitz                   Process Metallurgist, HW Plate Mill

Rick Grigg                  Coordinator – R&D, HW

George Hanson         Metallurgist HW Plate Mill

John Hanson              General Foreman Utilities HW Eng. & Operating Services

Richard Harris           Superintendent Stores, HW

Klaus Heyer               Senior Technical Advisor, HW R&D

John Hood                 Research Manager, HW Cold Roll & Coated

Murray McDiarmid    Analyst, Salary & Benefits, HW

Ron Price                   Plant Accountant, HW

Gordon Thede           Assistant Manager, HW Engineering

Paul Wendling           Project Manager, HW Plate & Strip Division

Dennis Wright            General Foreman Utilities, LESC Operating Services

 . 

Within days of Stelco filing for CCAA protection the judge presiding over the proceedings directed that SSPO represent all retired salaried employees of Stelco operations in Ontario, a group of approximately 3500.  On April 13, 2004 justice Farley of the Ontario Superior Court Of Justice further directed that SSPO represent approximately 600 additional former pension plan members and surviving spouses who are in receipt of medical, dental, and life insurance benefits from Stelco Inc., but not pensions (commonly referred to as the Partial Wind-up Group of 1996) 

 

SSPO successfully represented over 4100 beneficiaries in the Stelco Inc. CCAA court proceeding, spanning a 26-month period.  We chose The Toronto legal firm of Koskie Minsky, who are considered among the best in the field of employment law, to be legal counsel for Salaried Pensioners throughout the CCAA Hearings, and continue to consult with them on an ongoing basis as required.. Salaried Pensioners emerged from the CCAA with their pensions and benefits fully intact.               

   

A restructured Stelco emerged from CCAA court protection on March 31, 2006.  The membership of SSPO recognized the need for Pensioners to continue to have a strong and united voice carrying on into a future clouded with uncertainty.   Therefore SSPO was incorporated, formalized its mandate and operations structure (By-laws), and on March 22, 2006 the membership elected its first Board Of Directors.  

 

SSPO Inc. First Board Of Directors – Elected March 22, 2006

 

Name                         Board Position                    Position at Retirement

Gary A. Beaudoin     Secretary                               Manager, Metallurgy, R&D, QA - HW R&B

Gary Dallin                 President                               Manager, Metallurgy & QA, HW Rolling & Finishing

George Hanson         Vice-President                      Metallurgist HW Plate Mill

John Hanson              Liaison                                   General Foreman Utilities HW Eng. & Operating Services

Klaus Heyer               At Large                                 Senior Technical Advisor, HW R&D

Ron Price                   Treasurer                               Plant Accountant, HW

Paul Wendling           Communications                   Project Manager, HW Plate & Strip Division

Dennis Wright            Political                                  General Foreman Utilities, LESC Operating Services