Text: SR00010 Text: SR00012 Text: SR00000 - SR00099 Text: SR Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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
Text: SR00010 Text: SR00012 Text: SR00000 - SR00099 Text: SR Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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