Retirees who worked for years at the now closed Intermet factory in Decatur are trying to deal with their life insurance being taken away. They met at the AIW Hall in Decatur on Sunday.
Recently, some got letters from the company, which filed for bankruptcy, saying their life insurance will end August 1st. Retirees say not everyone has gotten a letter, which is why they held the meeting, to make sure everyone knew of the situation. Through the bankruptcy, retirees got about $48 in exchange for the $10,000 of life insurance they expected. One former worker and union leader wants to prevent this from happening to others.
"I'm hoping that the steel workers, President, and the big shots will pass in Congress a law that they can't do this type of thing to anybody else," said Susan Black, a former Intermet employee. "So we're gonna ask the steelworkers to try to get a bill through Congress."
Last week, an Intermet spokesman said 2,500 letters were mailed and more were on the way. The company says, if eligible, retirees can transition to other insurance.
