Excerpts from The News Tribune:
According to a leaflet being distributed by the pickets, they were protesting the failure of the Pacific Maritime Association to pay medical bills they and their family members have incurred since their retirement.
“PMA employers are taking away medical insurance from ILWU pensioners, their surviving spouses and children,” said the retiree group, the Pacific Coast Pensioners Association.
“Medical claims are being denied or reimbursements delayed unfairly,” the group said in its printed statement. “The problem is getting worse by the day.”
“We pensioners have earned medical coverage from our lifetime work for the PMA employers. We retired with PMA’s commitment that we would have our medical bills paid fully and timely by the industry health plan,” the group said.
The pickets said some retirees are now being pursued by collection agencies to pay medical bills that PMA employers should be paying.
“This is causing our retirees, spouses and widows great fear and grief, pushing some into poverty,” the handout said.