The Spark

the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist

“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx

Fair Is Fair

Jun 20, 2005

When General Growth Properties bought the Columbia, Maryland Rouse Company, it legally assumed the responsibility for 400 Rouse retirees. Eight months later, General Growth announced it was terminating paid health and life insurance for Rouse retirees.

Other companies have used the excuse that they were broke and couldn’t pay the benefits. General Growth didn’t even try. Instead a company spokesman said that chopping off the retirees’ health care was "about equity"–because General Growth’s own employees got no retiree health care, it was not "fair" that Rouse Company retirees got health care.

"Fair"? They want to talk about "fair" after cutting off medical benefits to workers whose decades of labor made Rouse company a going concern?

If they want "fair," then give every employee and retiree medical benefits–whether coming originally from General Growth or from Rouse.