"Retired teachers do feel bullied," said Pat Bowslaugh, president of the Retired Teachers Association of Manitoba. "The government and the Manitoba Teachers' Society have frightened, threatened and hurt us."

"These changes to the teachers' pension plan act are a fair and balanced approach," said Manitoba Teachers' Society board member and Carmen Collegiate teacher Pat Hamm, who weathered a loud heckle from the retired teachers. "There has been a lot of finger-pointing about who or what is to blame for the problem with COLA. This does no one any good and doesn't get us any closer to solving the problem."

The teachers' pension is running out of money, particularly an account meant to guarantee retirees a cost-of-living allowance every year. It's a decade-old problem the teachers' union called as complex as it is embarrassing.