ABOUT US

OUR AGENDA

OUR MISSION

1. Protect the basic pensions of salaried retired and active employees who are members of the following Ontario registered pension plans.

And

2. Protect the Medical Benefits of all salaried retirees, including former members of those plans which have had their pensions Annuitized and continue to qualify for Medical Benefits (OPEBs):

Hamilton Works/Stelco Tower Plan 338509
Lake Erie Works Plan 698753
Stelpipe Ltd. Plan 1017177 (Annuitized 2017)
Welland Pipe Ltd. Plan 1017185 (Annuitized 2017)

MEMBERSHIP IN SSPO IS OPEN TO:

• A Stelco Salaried Pensioner who is member of one of the above plans.
• A Surviving Spouse of a pensioner who was a member of one of the  above plans.
• An Active Employee who is a member of the Hamilton or Lake Erie Plan.
• A retired Salaried Employee in receipt of Non-Pension Benefits only (Health Benefits (group medical, dental, and vision care) who is no longer a member of one of the above plans as the result of their pension being Annuitized.
• A member (or his/her surviving spouse) of one of the above plans whose pension who has a Deferred Pension and/or Benefit entitlement.

FUNDING & MEMBERSHIP

SSPO finances its operations through annual membership fees.  The current annual membership fee is $30.  The Organization makes allowances 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.

GOVERNANCE

• The governance structure of SSPO is as defined and regulated by the SSPO Bylaw (Rev Oct 11, 2018).
• SSPO is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of 8 directors, chosen from amongst its membership and duly elected by the membership.
• SSPO is a non-profit organization,  incorporated under the Not-For-Profit Corporations Act of  the Province of Ontario.

OUR MANDATE

• Communicate with members in good standing, Stelco Morneau Shepell Ltd., the media, governments, regulatory agencies, politicians and other groups as required and empowered.
• Maximize membership.
• Raise funds through annual membership fees to cover expenses and maintain a contingency fund.
• Monitor developments in the pension field and gather information to better understand the options for members of a defined benefit pension plan.
• Participate as members of the Hamilton and Lake Erie Works Pension Advisory Committees, composed of Salaried Retiree & Active Employee members of the Plans, and, as needed, assist in the appointment of PAC committee members who in turn engage with the Pension Administrator on behalf of Pensioners/Actives.
• Interact and collaborate with other pensioner organizations (Canadian Federation of Pensioners) that represent members of defined benefit plans with shared interests.
• Closely monitor and review the ongoing performance and status of the salaried pension plans through PAC interaction with Plan Administrator Morneau Shepell.
• Engage/Interact with the Stelco Retiree Benefits Trust (ELHT) and appoint Trustees as may be required from time to time.
• Initiate political, legal and/or lobbyist action as required, to protect the pensions & benefits of members of the Plans.
• Closely liaise and interact the Pension Deficit Funding Trust (PDFT) through the PAC’s and assist in the selection/appoint of Trustees as may be required from time to time. 
• Monitor the activities of the Limited Land Partnership (LANDCO) and liaise as may be required through the PAC’s, PDFT, and the ELHT.
• Closely monitor the implementation, and ongoing adherence by all jurisdictions to the terms of the Court approved Plan of Compromise. Arrangement, and Reorganization reached with US Steel Inc June 30, 2017.  The Plan was approved by the 8 Salaried Representatives (4 of which are SSPO Board Members), acting in their capacity as court appointed representatives for all Plan Members, Active Salaried Employees, and Benefits recipients.

COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE MEMBERSHIP

SSPO communicates with members in “good standing” through postings to the SSPO Website, Annual Membership Meetings, Annual Newsletters.  E-mail, and Canada Post.    

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 possessing sufficient resources 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.  By the Fall of 2014 over 2600 Pensioners had become members of SSPO.