Kodak withdraws motion to end retiree health coverage [Dayton Daily News, Ohio]

April 06--Eastman Kodak Co., now going through bankruptcy, withdrew an earlier bankruptcy court motion to end health insurance coverage for employees who retired after 1991, a group of Kodak retirees said Friday.

In February, Kodak said in a letter to retirees that it must "balance the needs of our retirees with the needs of our company." The Rochester, N.Y.-based film pioneer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January.

Kodak has about 500 employees in Kettering'sMiami Valley Research Park, which is the company's second largest concentration of employees outside its corporate headquarters. Kodak has said it plans to invest in the Kettering site, but it has also alerted Ohio government that it will lay off 66 Kettering employees by April 19, with more layoffs in smaller numbers ahead.

A company spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment.

"Kodak's actions are big steps toward what we have been working for and hoping for since EKRA (Eastman Kodak Retirees Association) started three years ago," Art Roberts, the group's vice president, said in an EKRA statement. "These decisions by Kodak give retirees a chance to directly interact with Kodak to try to find win-win solutions for the resolution of all of our health and survivor benefits,"

Also, the retirees group said the company requested that a retirees committee be formed to oversee the needs of retirees in the bankruptcy process.

Bob Volpe, EKRA president, said the committee will be the "official representation" of all Kodak retirees in the bankruptcy process. The company will be expected to consult with the committee on any proposed benefit changes, he said.

"They (Kodak) can no longer unilaterally change any benefits," Volpe told the Dayton Daily News in a phone interview Friday.

"We are also pleased to be recognized by Kodak in its motion as one of the sources of names of potential representatives on the retiree committee," Volpe said in a statement. "We will submit a list of about 50 people who we believe will be very good representatives of all retirees."

Volpe said he did not know if any of the 50 will be from the Dayton area.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or [email protected].

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