Aides and Pages Win Big Health Care Reimbursement

Former or current LA County Public Library aides or a pages that worked at any time between July 17, 2001 and June 30, 2007 may be eligible to be reimbursed 80 percent of any medical, vision, and hospital expenses incurred during the time employed.

In 2001, aides and pages working a minimum of 30 hours won health care benefits.  Yet over the next five years, library management systematically reduced hours in order to cut costs.  Management eventually lost that battle. In 2006, aides and pages won an arbitration ruling that found the library department violated the union's contract by limiting the hours of aides and pages.

The arbitrator instructed library management and the union to agree on a remedy for the aides and pages harmed by the policy enforced from 2001 through 2006.  However, library management refused to abide by the arbitrator’s decision. They rejected the union's proposed remedies, denied that the arbitrator had ordered the library to stop reducing hours, and refused to introduce its own remedy.

In response to the county’s inaction, SEIU 721 requested that the arbitrator order his own remedy.

Arbitrator’s Ruling Orders Library Department to Reimburse Part-time Aides and Pages for 80% of Health Care Expenses.

• Part-time aides and pages who were employed between July 17, 2001 and June 30, 2007 are eligible to receive reimbursement for medical expenses that would have been covered by the County’s health insurance plans.
• Part-time aides and pages are also eligible for the reimbursement if they were enrolled in the County’s health care plan and were dropped from coverage because their hours were reduced following a promotion and/or transfer.
• In order to receive the reimbursement you must submit documentation in the form of cancelled checks, credit card statements, invoices for health care services received, or other documentation that serves to establish that medical and hospital expenses were incurred.
• Management and the Union must meet to attempt to agree about the timeline for implementation, how to notify members, and procedures to submit proof of healthcare expenses.

When and how impacted aides and pages can request reimbursement for incurred health expenses is still unknown.