Class War: Corporations Slash Retiree Health Benefits

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=&e=7&u=/ap/20040114/ap_on_bi_ge/retiree_health_benefits_2

NEW YORK - Companies continued to slash retiree health benefits over the last year, with 10 percent of firms eliminating coverage for future retirees and 71 percent increasing retirees' contributions for their coverage, according to a new study.

"The bleeding hasn't stopped," foundation president Drew Altman said. "I think it is significant that employers are telling us to expect more of the same."

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

1. CW kick

:bounce:

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

2. kick

better than candidate bashing, yes?

[haele]

3. Well, it's an age old part of the traditional reward to those who labor -

The company at least makes sure everyone gets to memorialize you after you die on the job - at a time where it won't interfere with production.
If they're a really nice company, they'll let the other workers take a little early time off to get drunk at your wake - and they won't move your family out of the company shack that had been assigned to you until your spouse can find someone else to take care of her/him and the kids in your place. They might not even sell your stuff to pay off what you owe the company store.

Ah, the good old days - when employers didn't have to worry much about paying pensions for any length of time - most employees wouldn't survive 5 years past "retirement".

I remember the old saw regarding military retirees; every year of service took an average of a year off your life expectancy; if you retired at 40 with 20 years in service, expect to die before you turned 60 if your average family life expectancy would normally be around 75/80 years old.

Haele