Retired Chester city workers express concern for being left out of bankruptcy negotiations

CHESTER, PA (KYW Newsradio) — A plan is coming together to get the city of Chester out of bankruptcy, but the city’s largest creditor — its retired workers — said they’ve been left out of the talks and there’s a growing fear that retirees could lose their benefits.

Alan Davis is a retired captain with the Chester Police, and said he’s upset the retiree committee, which represents the city’s retired workforce, has so far been left out of the discussions.

“Me personally, it makes me sad and angry,” he said. “We filed a response saying you’ve never consulted us. You haven’t engaged with us. We have financial expertise on our side from people who have done restructuring.”

Davis, who was shot in the line of duty in 2016 and placed on disability, said a lot of retired employees and their families rely on pensions to live.

“A lot of widows of officers killed in the line of duty, that’s their only source of income and health insurance. Most of us are at the age where we need health insurance,” he said.

Chuck Bolgunas worked at the Chester Fire Department for 31 years and now works as the co-chair of the retiree committee. He said the committee filed a response to the current bankruptcy plan, a draft of which was recently filed by the state-appointed receiver in bankruptcy court.

The retiree committee said the proposal lacks a lot of details.

“We’re hoping that this will move the receiver to invite the retirees and the professionals to the table to help negotiate a settlement,” said Bolgunas.

KYW reached out to the Chester city receiver for comment, but has yet to receive a response.