School District 43 has been ordered to pay out $35,000 in damages spread between 14 retirees after it was found to have removed their extended health coverage.
The Labour Relations Board decision, which was handed down Sept. 4 but released Saturday, compensates the retirees “for their lost opportunity” after extended health and dental benefits were removed during a transition between two pension plans in 2017.
SD43 is to pay the 14 members “with no withholding,” wrote board arbitrator James E. Dorsey in his decision.
In transitioning the plan — which included 539 non-teaching retirees and 298 dependents as of September 2019 — several dependents were also found to have been mistakenly left on the plan and were given until November 30 to find an alternative.
According to the Labour Relations Board decision, SD43 intends to buy out the rest of the plan members this year. Any retiree accepting the lump-sum payment would relieve the school district of its obligation to pay extended health and dental benefits to retirees enrolled in the plan until 2033.
