The Civil Service Employees Association on Thursday announced it had filed a class-action lawsuit against the state Thruway Authority after about 1,500 retirees had their health care costs increased.
The lawsuit itself was filed 10 days ago on March 7, the labor group said.
The legal challenge comes after the Thruway Authority in December told retirees their personal contributions in their health care premiums would increase by 6 percent starting April 1.
CSEA argues the increase fails to honor obligations that are covered by CSEA and the Thruway.
“It’s another in a continuing series of bad decisions and mismanagement of the New York State Thruway Authority that have undermined their credibility and demoralized the workforce,” said CSEA President Danny Donohue. “It says a lot about the misplaced priorities of the authority management that they can be lining up for a huge state bailout while at the same time putting the squeeze on retirees who devoted their careers to state service.”
The lawsuit itself also comes as about 500 workers represented by CSEA at the Thruway Authority are engaged in protracted contract negotiations. The workers have been without a contract since the last agreement expired on June 30.
CSEA has also filed a federal lawsuit over the termination of union-represented workers.