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The Complete Letter
Jim Norby to Elaine
Chao Secretary of Labor
Re: DOL No Longer Represents
Retirees
December 3, 2004
The Honorable Elaine L. Chao
Secretary of Labor
United States Department of Labor
Frances Perkins Building
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20210
Dear Secretary Chao:
As the President of the National Retiree Legislative
Network (NRLN), an organization representing nearly two million retirees,
I was surprised and perplexed to read a quote by a Department of Labor
(DOL) spokesperson stating that retired workers “aren’t our constituents
anymore” (Wall Street Journal, November 10, 2004). The statement
was made in relation to an article regarding the outrageous action by
Rexam Inc. of suing a former employee in an effort to cut his healthcare
benefit.
The Department of Labor’s Mission Statement clearly
outlines the Department’s jurisdiction as the following:
The Department of Labor fosters and promotes the
welfare of the job seekers, wage earners, and retirees of the United
States by improving their working conditions, advancing their
opportunities for profitable employment, protecting their retirement and
health care benefits…(Department of Labor Mission Statement, DOL
website)
To read of companies’ attacks on their former
employees is horrific enough. To then discover that the Department of
Labor disavows any jurisdiction over issues relating to retirees is simply
astounding. Unless the Department’s Mission Statement has changed, I am
assuming that the unnamed spokesperson was shamefully wrong in making the
statement. That leaves me very concerned about the culture at the
Department of Labor, as it reflects a total disinterest and ignorance of
the welfare of retirees and its very role in protecting that
constituency.
I respectfully ask that you consider these concerns
and the troubling impact of this statement.
Sincerely,
A.J. (Jim) Norby
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