History of the Carbide Retiree Corps, Inc. (CRC)
In 1978, Warren Anderson, President of Union
Carbide, announced plans to form a separate nonprofit organization for
providing assistance to retirees in utilizing their managerial, business, or
technical skills in their retirement. Bill
Morro, an officer in Chemicals and Plastics who was
himself about to retire, had conceived the
idea and offered to undertake the direction of the
program on a voluntary basis. Carbide was to make the necessary resources available to
him. In his announcement, Warren asked
the "Domestic Executive List" to assist
Morro "in any way you can to assure the success of this venture,
which we believe to be the first of its kind in U.S. industry".
The new organization was called the "Carbide Retiree Service Corps, Inc" (CRSC)
and was established as a non-profit corporation with officers, directors, and
other leaders all serving without pay. Carbide was to provide financial support
to cover operating costs. Geographical regions were created for the entire U.S.
with each region represented by a director. Local CRSC chapters were to be
established wherever feasible.
At the outset, CRSC emphasized the "service" in its name. An invitation to
join the organization was mailed only to exempt salary retirees and contained a registration form asking
for detailed information on the retiree's experience and skills.
This information was to be entered into a CRSC "skills bank" for use in
identifying possible opportunities.
CRSC operated in the above fashion over the next 9 years with limited success.
About 1,600 of the 9,300 exempt salary retirees had registered, but only 10
chapters had been formed by the end of 1986. Only a few "service" opportunities
had been uncovered and acted upon. The chapters had drifted away from the
"service" mission and had become more interested in social activities. Two large
independent retiree clubs, the Oldtimers in Charleston and Charlie's Angels in
Danbury, open to all retirees regardless of pay category, declined to affiliate
with CRSC. In addition, several social-oriented groups had been formed
independently of CRSC at divested or discontinued Carbide locations such as
Battery Products, Metals, and Films-Packaging plants.
In recognition of the above situation, CRSC decided in 1986 to de-emphasize the
"service" role and reorient its efforts towards Carbide fellowship and mutual
assistance. It dropped the word "service" from its name and became the "Carbide
Retiree Corps, Inc" (CRC). It adopted a policy to include all Carbide retirees
and other former employees of all pay categories, as well as spouses and
surviving spouses.
A concerted effort was mounted in 1987 by the new CRC to establish chapters
wherever there was a sufficient number of interested retirees to support one.
All groups that had been operating independently of CRSC were invited to
affiliate with CRC and eventually nearly all came on board, including the
Oldtimers and Charlie's Angels. New chapters were formed at other present or
former plant locations, at popular retirement areas in Florida, Georgia, and the
Carolinas, and at some large cities. Over the next five years, 72 new chapters
were formed, bringing the total to 82 by the end of 1992. Since then, 20 more
were added for a total of 102 by mid-1999. The number of retirees registered as
members of CRC was then more than 12,000, or 38% of the total of 32,000
retirees. Chapter guidelines were established and provided to all chapters.
These guidelines specify that chapters elect their own officers and decide their
own programs and meeting schedules. CRC paid chapters' incidental costs.
Essentially the only requirement imposed by CRC was that a chapter must accept
any retiree or surviving spouse for membership.
A most important activity of CRC is the "Friends-In-Need " (FIN) program. It
started as a modest effort in 1991 in Florida for retirees needing help in
understanding and obtaining their retiree benefits. It was gradually expanded to
cover the rest of the country and to reach out to retirees in need of any kind
of help, and especially in support of surviving spouses. More than 400 FIN
volunteers were trained at nearly every chapter. Each region had one or two
appointed FIN Coordinators and volunteers to do the training.
Biennial retiree reunions have been held in Florida since the 1980's. These were
started as Linde reunions and totally independent of CRSC. They were later
expanded to include a second day for other Carbiders, and were subsequently
combined as a single event for all retirees under CRC sponsorship. Bob Kennedy,
Bill Joyce, and Bill Lichtenberger have been the main speakers at these events
in the early years. Most recently, over 550 retirees and spouses attended a
fall, 2010 reunion in Charleston, WV where over 5,000 retirees live in the area.
Many chapters at sites of discontinued UCC operations have become inactive due
to aging and no influx of new members. Currently, we list a total of 67 active
chapters out of a total of 114. More reductions are expected without efforts to
expand our base. In the West Region – Albuquerque, NM to Riverton, WY and all
areas west - there are only four active chapters out of sixteen. CRC attempts to
continue serving the retirees in all areas through an area contact effort. A CRC
member willing to serve is appointed as Area Contact to carry on the FIN program
and various communication functions, such as would be expected from a chapter
president with periodic mail or e-mailings updating on pension, benefits,
health, and Dow and CRC issues.
Communications between CRC and the chapters are handled primarily by the
Regional Directors. Several of the active chapters still issue newsletters,
which they distribute to their own members. Some meet monthly and many only
gather annually. The former "Retiree World", a national CRC newsletter,
originally published two or three times a year and distributed to all registered
retirees was discontinued subsequent to the acquisition of Union Carbide by Dow
Chemical, but incorporated into several pages of “Dow Friends,” which is an
employees and retirees document published three or four times a year.
Several chapters have established a retiree e-mail exchange system that now
encompasses perhaps 4,000 contacts and is expected to continue to grow through
expanded outreach efforts.
CRC received the support of Union Carbide throughout its existence, first as
CRSC under Warren Anderson and then as CRC under Bob Kennedy and Bill Joyce. The
Company provided funds for operating an office in Danbury and for reimbursing
CRC officers and directors for out-of-pocket expenses and supported chapters
costs. Carbide was also most generous in providing speakers for chapter
meetings.
A. E. (Monty) Montagna - CRC Vice President-Operations July 24, 1999
Updated by Mike Gaston March 2, 2011
Note: Dow Chemical has continued to financially support the Carbide Retiree
Corps, it’s hospice contributions, the recognition of “Centenarians” on their
100th birthday, and expanded operational help within the limits of privacy
issues.