Media: Copley screws over Peoria Journal Star retirees
From the San Diego Reader:
Copley Newspapers today (March 17) announced deep cuts in health care coverage for retirees. In trying to lure certain employees to take buyout offerings the last several years, the company had promised to pay 75 percent of medical coverage until the employee was eligible for Medicare. This will end March 31– giving these retirees only two weeks to plan. The company will cover 75 percent of the costs of COBRA, or temporary insurance, until the end of the year in most cases. COBRA permits employees leaving a company to continue group coverage, usually for a short period.
March 18th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Just … Plain … Wrong
March 19th, 2009 at 12:17 am
One can only wonder how much health insurance David Copley’s $6 million gift to UCLA for the study of costume design might buy:
March 19th, 2009 at 12:18 am
OK, where’s my link?
http://www.tft.ucla.edu/news/announcement/450-copley-costume-center_donation/
March 19th, 2009 at 10:36 am
in this day and age no one should count on a corporation to provide for health care, pensions or other benefits in retirement. i feel badly for these folks that will now burden the medicare/medicaid system as they ‘bought in’ to the system when such beliefs about corporate america taking care of its loyal workers from cradle to grave had some truth to it.
it is incumbent upon every citizen to plan for his/her own retirement and not depend upon big business or government to fill any shortfalls. there may be help available now and even in the forseeable future, but the strings of dependence that come with that help are more like heavy ropes.
March 19th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
OK, Dr. Thompson. Are you saying people should make enough money to be able to pay for their own health care in retirement without depending on government or business? Might be possible if we didn’t have the world’s most expensive health-care non-system. Or if we were all doctors.
March 19th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
im saying that if citizens were able to use the tax money withheld or paid in to crummy government systems (healthcare is just one example) and if people got reasonable about healthcare, then our addiction to uncle sam and his wallet could be broken. Just because a medication, procedure or device exists does not mean it should be covered by insurance (public or private). GM retirees have viagra covered for example.
i simply preach independence from government. as a young man the fear was that government would overtake its people by force. tanks rolling down main street. now i see that government will overtake its people because the people want to be provided for. please help me uncle sam, i can’t do it and i’ll exchange my freedoms for security. happened after 911 in a more apparent fashion. has been and is increasing in a more subtle manner now for economic security.
March 19th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Most of these people entered into an agreement with Copley whereby they would voluntarily leave and the company would continue to pay them for a certain period of time and provide health insurance until age 65, paying 75 percent of the premiums. Copley certainly has a moral and probably legal obligation to live up to their end of the bargain. Sure, everybody should save for retirement. But a deal is a deal.
March 19th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
That news sucks! But I wonder, since it was “several” years ago that Copley sold out to the horrific GateHouse group, how many of the PJS employees who retired under Copley aren’t already Medicare-eligible and therefore not affected? The number affected can’t be high (although even one is too many!)
I hate the idea that corporations can change the terms of retirement, separation, pensions, whatever… unilaterally and with no recourse for employees. That is just WRONG!!!
March 19th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Keystone & Caterpillar (to name at least two local employers) changed the rules on retiree healthcare as well. Look at the bright side, Shelly Epstein was one that took the buyout and will lose his most likely health coverage.
March 19th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
deal is a deal. not in america. companies restructure terms of retirement, often under collective bargaining agreements. people restructure terms of debt repayment under bankruptcy laws. politicians restructure voting districts to ensure they get re-elected. the only person who whines a deal is a deal is the person getting shafted when the deal goes sour for them.
March 19th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
“But I wonder, since it was ’several’ years ago that Copley sold out to the horrific GateHouse group, how many of the PJS employees who retired under Copley aren’t already Medicare-eligible and therefore not affected?”
It was just two years ago. The youngest person in that newsroom buyout was 53 then, I believe.
March 19th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
“… companies restructure terms of retirement, often under collective bargaining agreements. people restructure terms of debt repayment under bankruptcy laws.”
These buyouts were not part of a collective bargaining agreement, and the Copley Press is not bankrupt. If people in America come to believe that contracts are not generally enforceable, civilization as we know it will collapse. Hell, it may already have begun.
March 19th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
well, if copley is breaching a contract then i hope the retirees bring suit and enforce the contract.
“If people in America come to believe that contracts are not generally enforceable, civilization as we know it will collapse. Hell, it may already have begun.”
reply: tell that to those who can no longer afford the mortgages that should probably not have been approved and are now clammoring for government help. and don’t complain when lenders enforce those contracts.
March 30th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Dr. Thompson,
As you say “it is incumbent upon every citizen to plan for his/her own retirement”.
I completely concur with your opinion and wonder why you miss the obvious fact those Copley retirees DID just that “plan for his/her own retirement” just like I did and many other workers in this country DID. Although I haven’t seen the contract these retirees had, I do know the contract I retired under and it included vested lifetime healthcare. That “PLAN” was only flawed by the reliance on a “legal” “good faith” agreement with a Major reputable US Corporation.
“If people in America come to believe that contracts are not generally enforceable, civilization as we know it will collapse. Hell, it may already have begun.”
Just can’t run anything by you.