MARCH 2001 - Thanks largely to the dogged determination of Association member Matt Savastano, the City of Attleboro has opted to pay 50% of the cost of health insurance premiums for surviving spouses of all retirees.

When the city accepted a 50% surviving spouse statute in 1998, officials decided that only spouses receiving a survivors pension were eligible. Survivors of Option A or Option B retirees do not receive a pension and were required to pay the full 100% for their coverage plus an additional 2% service charge to the city.

"It just wasn't fair and in my opinion not legal," said Savastano, a retired Attleboro police officer and elected member of that city's retirement board. "Prior to December, 1998 all survivors paid 100% but when the city accepted a 50% provision (Sec. 9D, Ch. 32B) they didn't include those poor women who were not collecting a pension. A survivor is a survivor whether or not she is receiving a pension. And to charge these women a service charge on top of the 100% was an insult."

After his request that all survivors receive the same insurance benefit was denied by city officials, Savastano went on a one-man crusade and took his case to the City Council. The Council referred his request to their Ordinance Committee where Chairman Frank Cook asked for a legal opinion from City Solicitor John Lee. Lee responded with a three-page letter which included the following finding:

"There is no legal basis to ban such participation (50%) on the part of a surviving spouse on the grounds that the retired employee did not elect to receive his retirement benefits under Option C.

"In summary, I agree with Mr. Savastano that the surviving spouse is entitled to participate in the City's health insurance plans whether the retired employee elects to receive his retirement benefits under Option (a), (b) or (c)." The Council then went on to vote in favor of a 50% payment and sent a resolution to Mayor Judith Robbins, who ordered its implementation.

Savastano and fellow retirement board elected member Gary Sagar, a firefighter, had teamed up to win the 1998 50% vote. Since then, city officials had told Savastano that, "It's not the right time to push any further." "When would the time be right? Should we wait until these women are dead," was Savastano's response in taking his case to the Council.

"I want to thank Frank Cook, the chairman of the Ordinance Committee and the entire Council for voting for the survivors. Also John Lee, who researched the issue and made it very clear the survivors were being unjustly denied a benefit that they were entitled to," Savastano said.

"Matt is a determined guy when it comes to retirees and survivors," said Association President Ralph White. "He frequently clashed with city officials when he was president of the Attleboro Police Union and despite a recent hospitalization due to a heart condition, he hasn't lost a step."

It's noteworthy that the City Council President Carolyn Tedino said that Matt Savastano likely saved the city legal expenses if someone sued the city over the situation, and Councilor Bill Bowles acknowledged Savastano's "perseverance."