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PAG LIN
1 1 SENATE RESOLUTION NO.
1 2 BY KIBBIE, GETTINGS, and HANSEN
1 3 A Resolution urging John Morrell and Company to honor
1 4 its commitment to provide health care coverage to its
1 5 retirees and their families.
1 6 WHEREAS, John Morrell and Company currently owns
1 7 and operates a meat-packing plant in Sioux Falls,
1 8 South Dakota, and has operated meat-packing plants in
1 9 Estherville, Iowa, and Ottumwa, Iowa; and
1 10 WHEREAS, through several collective bargaining
1 11 agreements with its employees, John Morrell and
1 12 Company consistently agreed to provide free guaranteed
1 13 health care coverage to workers and their families
1 14 upon the workers' retirement from John Morrell and
1 15 Company; and
1 16 WHEREAS, in September 1979, John Morrell and
1 17 Company entered into a collective bargaining agreement
1 18 with its employees, covering all retirees between
1 19 September 1, 1979, and September 1, 1985, and
1 20 providing these retirees with free guaranteed health
1 21 care coverage for the retirees and their families and
1 22 survivors in return for receiving smaller pensions;
1 23 and
1 24 WHEREAS, over 3,000 workers at John Morrell and
1 25 Company retired during this period, with many of these
1 26 retirees agreeing to take a smaller pension in return
1 27 for free guaranteed health care coverage for the
1 28 retirees and their families and survivors; and
1 29 WHEREAS, John Morrell and Company, in blatant
1 30 disregard to its promises to its retirees, informed
2 1 many of these retirees by letter dated January 23,
2 2 1995, that it had decided to unilaterally discontinue
2 3 free guaranteed health care coverage to many of its
2 4 retirees effective January 31, 1995; and
2 5 WHEREAS, employers have ethical responsibilities,
2 6 even apart from their legal obligations, to provide
2 7 for loyal employees and retirees who have dedicated
2 8 their working lives to their employers; and
2 9 WHEREAS, John Morrell and Company, in canceling
2 10 health care coverage for certain of its retirees, has
2 11 apparently decided to repay the efforts of its retired
2 12 workers by abandoning the retirees and their families;
2 13 and
2 14 WHEREAS, Iowans have a strong sense of fair play
2 15 and justice and believe that promises and personal
2 16 commitments are binding upon the parties to such
2 17 promises and commitments, regardless of the alleged
2 18 ability of a party to negate such promises through
2 19 legal maneuvering; NOW THEREFORE,
2 20 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Iowa Senate
2 21 express its outrage and alarm at the actions taken by
2 22 John Morrell and Company in revoking health care
2 23 coverage for Morrell retirees and their families.
2 24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That John Morrell and
2 25 Company is urged to reconsider its ethical obligations
2 26 to its former workers and decide to continue to comply
2 27 with its promises to these workers by providing health
2 28 care coverage to its retirees and their families.
2 29 LSB 2219SS 76
2 30 ec/cf/24
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