Argue Before State’s Highest Court
February 5, 2014: For more than 6 years, we’ve been reporting on the activities of the Middleborough Retiree Insurance Group (MRIG) which organized back in ’07. “Our Association has a tradition of working with local retiree groups, particularly on the issues of municipal health insurance and local pension COLAs (Cost-of-Living Adjustments),” according to President Valeri. “That relationship includes Middleboro.
Argue Before State’s Highest Court
February 5, 2014: For more than 6 years, we’ve been reporting on the activities of the Middleborough Retiree Insurance Group (MRIG) which organized back in ’07. “Our Association has a tradition of working with local retiree groups, particularly on the issues of municipal health insurance and local pension COLAs (Cost-of-Living Adjustments),” according to President Valeri. “That relationship includes Middleboro.
“In fact, we’ve reported in our publications on several major developments involving MRIG. For example we reported in January that Middleboro will be joining the GIC this coming July.
“Before that, last July (2013) to be exact, we reported extensively on the lengthy legal battle that MRIG has been engaged in with local officials for almost 4 years.”
Briefly, back in ’09, MRIG won a major victory at Town Meeting when the percent that a retiree would contribute to their insurance premium was frozen at the percent being paid at retirement but no more than 10% (HMO), 25% (PPO) or 25% (Medicare Supp). But that victory was quickly squelched by the Board of Selectmen who ignored the Town Meeting vote and raised the retiree HMO percent to 20%.
MRIG was left with no other option than to challenge the selectmen’s action in court, which they did beginning in 2010. Despite a setback in the lower court, the Middleboro retirees refused to give up and appealed.
“Their appeal was taken up by the state’s highest court, the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC). And today MRIG got their day in court, arguing their case before the SJC, and stopped off at the Association offices afterwards (see photo),” reports Valeri.
“They presented strong arguments before the Court. Hopefully all their hard work will produce a favorable outcome.”