Lawmakers seek health care, retirement protections for Steward Health Care workers

BOSTON (AP) — A group of Democratic members of Congress, led by Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts, is seeking assurances that workers at hospitals owned by Steward Health Care will have their health care and retirement benefits protected.

Steward said last month that he plans sell all your hospitals after announcing that filed for bankruptcy protection.

In a letter to Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su on Monday, Markey said Steward’s bankruptcy “poses concerns for the nearly 30,000 workers, including nearly 10,000 in Massachusetts, who rely on Steward Health Care for their paychecks, plans health and retirement benefits.”

“We write to ask that the U.S. Department of Labor ensure that Steward workers and retirees receive the health care and retirement benefits to which they are entitled. Workers and retirees must be protected from further harm resulting from Steward’s serious financial mismanagement,” Markey wrote.

Steward representatives did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on what steps, if any, the company has taken to ensure workers receive their benefits.

The Dallas-based company, which operates more than 30 hospitals nationwide, said it does not expect any disruptions to the day-to-day operations of its hospitals during the Chapter 11 process.

Markey said many workers who depend on Steward Health Care for their livelihood already face financial uncertainty and anxiety. In Massachusetts, he said, Steward workers’ paychecks were delayed following the bankruptcy filing due to processing delays.

Markey and the other lawmakers are calling on the Department of Labor to take steps to protect workers, including determining the Steward’s plan for continued benefits during bankruptcy as well as in the event of a facility closure or acquisition and ensuring that claims for health compensation are paid throughout the bankruptcy process. .

“While the responsibility for this crisis rests solely with Steward and its corporate collaborators, a resolution to this crisis that protects workers, patients and communities requires engagement and collaboration among federal, state and local authorities,” Markey said in the letter.

In addition to Massachusetts, Steward employs workers in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.

The letter was also signed by Democratic Senators Sherrod Brown of Ohio and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Democratic Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Stephen Lynch, James McGovern and Seth Moulton, all of Massachusetts, and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas also signed the letter.