One of the Millions of Reasons for National Health Care
Stricken With Cancer, and Then Terminated 2 Longtime Manassas Workers Say City Was Within Legal Rights but Unfair
By Theresa Vargas Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, October 14, 2007; PW04
Katie Tremul stood before Manassas City Council members recently and said she wanted to tell them a story: "a story of honor, dedication, loyalty, as well as fear, pain and abandonment."
. . . Tremul, 50, learned that lesson while working for the City of Manassas in May 2006, when a doctor told her she had breast cancer. She had worked as an emergency communications specialist, directing calls for the fire and police departments for 12 years. But July 26 this year, after going on long-term disability while she underwent seven surgeries and chemotherapy, Tremul received a letter in the mail terminating her employment. With her job went her health and life insurance benefits, she said.. . . "When you talk about medical issues and public employees, it's about as complicated as it gets in employment law," he said, adding that he has many clients who are surprised that they have less legal recourse than they thought. "Employment law isn't always what people consider fair." --more-- _____________________________________________________________________ Every day brings another story like this, of health care denied or a job-related disaster of dropped coverage. Changes have to come.
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