Livermore
Lab Retirees Criticize Reductions to Health Benefits
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Monday, July 20, 2009
Category:
News > University > Higher Education
Retirees from Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory are voicing concerns over their health benefits, which they say have
been reduced since new management took over the labs in 2007.
The retirees went before the UC Board of Regents
last week, claiming that they retired before the switch in management occurred
in 2007 and that their benefits should be consistent with retired employees
under UC management.
Joseph Requa retired from the lab in 1999 and is
the organizer of UC Livermore Retiree Group.
"What we want is that UC takes back
responsibility for determining our health benefits and that the levels are
consistent with what other UC retirees receive ," Requa said.
The laboratory was run by the University of
California until October 2007 when Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
took over management.
The corporation is comprised of the Bechtel
Corporation, the University of California, and other energy companies.
When the corporation took over management, its
contract stated it would provide equivalent health coverage to the UC plan,
according to Lynda Seaver, a spokesperson for the corporation.
But in September 2008, as medical costs rose, LLNS
changed its health care costs to keep with industry standards, Seaver said.
The retirees claim the new level of benefits is
significantly lower than the UC's.
Lt. Gov. John Garamendi wrote a letter to UC
President Mark Yudof in support of the 5,500 retirees.
UC spokesperson Peter King said that the Office of
the President will be looking at the situation.
"President Yudof and Bruce Darling, (Executive
Vice President of lab management,) are going to look for ways of fairness and
equity to see what can be done," he said.
Requa's organization has 600 members and is
collecting funds in the event that legal action becomes necessary.
"If we need that stick, we have it in our back
pocket," Requa said.
Manuel Perry, who retired from the lab in 1993,
said that many retirees stayed with the UC system through good times and bad
and hope that the issue can be resolved amicably.
"We don't think there is a need for lawsuits when the UC can talk to us," Perry said. "We want to be brought back into the (UC) family as retirees and be treated as the rest of the retirees."