Lee, guild retiree insurance fight continues

In December 2008, St. Louis Post-Dispatch retirees were taken off a low-deductible insurance plan and added to Lee's mid-deductible plan, forcing the retirees to pay more for insurance. The St. Louis Newspaper Guild filed a grievance, and in February 2010 an arbitrator ruled Lee must refund the difference in coverage to retirees and reinstate the low-deductible plan.

Lee has mailed those checks, but says the arbitrator "ordered the P-D to restore the low deductible option for the affected retirees under the 2004-2009 contract ... he did not order the P-D to reinstate the low deductible plan beyond the term of the 2004-2009 agreement."

Guild members approved a new contract on March 28. The guild has filed another grievance and asked the arbitrator to weigh in again.