Fight to Save Retiree Benefits

by: YWANJ

Wed Oct 05, 2011 at 12:58:08 PM EDT

New Jersey has over one million estimated retirees covered by
company-sponsored healthcare, but recently some companies have decided
to leave their retirees in the lurch.

Companies have been diminishing healthcare to retirees and last year
several major corporations threatened to outright cancel healthcare
when they went before Congress.

South Jersey Rep. Robert Andrews and North Jersey Rep. Steve Rothman
are collaborating on H.R. 1322, the Earned Retiree Healthcare Benefits
Protection Act of 2011.

The bi-partisan legislation prevents employers from stripping
post-retirement benefits from retirees after many years of dedication
to the company.

Now, 13,000+ member-strong IBEW Local 827 - based in East Windsor,
N.J. - is endorsing the legislation and calling on Sen. Robert
Menendez to sponsor the bill.

"This legislation is needed to protect those who made corporations
profitable today and is needed to keep taxpayer costs out of the
healthcare system under the Patient Protection & Accordable Care
Act," wrote William D. Huber, President and Business Manager of IBEW
Local 827 in a letter to Sen. Menendez.

The letter was co-signed by Edward Johnson, State Chairman and Hudson
Representative Retiree Committee for IBEW Local 827.

"We need to ensure that America's retirees are not casualties of
the national healthcare struggle," said New Jersey retiree Mike
McFadden, who worked at Verizon.

The bill is actively being pushed by ProtectSeniors.org, a D.C.-based
group that is pushing companies to honor their commitments to retired
workers.

"We merely want companies to live up to the financial commitments
they made," said Paul Miller of ProtectSeniors.Org. "Give us the
health benefits we earned and paid for over decades of loyal service."