Opinion ID: 578618
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Dorothy G. Keeney

Text: 15 Dorothy G. Keeney was employed full-time as the switchboard operator for the Dispatch from January 4, 1961, to September 30, 1988, and, at 77, was the oldest employee at the newspaper. Keeney operated the switchboard from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Fridays. Other employees at York filled in for Keeney one hour per day during Keeney's lunch and on Friday afternoons. 16 Keeney's immediate supervisor, Robert Merkert, testified that he was called into the office of Ed Magee, the Dispatch's finance director, and that Magee, who also was head of Keeney's department, said to Merkert, John--referring to Mr. Reynolds--caught Dottie [Keeney] napping at the switchboard. Something has to be done. She's too old. She should have retired. Got to get her out. A few weeks after this conversation, Magee announced that the hours of the switchboard would be extended one hour to 6:00 p.m. and that the switchboard would thereafter be manned by two part-time operators, one working from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and the other working from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., five days per week. When Magee offered one of the part-time jobs to Keeney, she asked if health insurance coverage, which she had as a full-time employee, would be provided to her if she accepted the offer. While Magee responded that he would check into the matter and get back to her with an answer, he never did so. 17 Keeney alleges that she would have accepted a part-time position if health insurance coverage were provided, but that she assumed that Magee's failure to advise her that health insurance was provided meant that it was not. Keeney further alleges that she learned that she would be covered by health insurance if she retired, and for this reason decided to retire rather than accept the part-time position. Although several weeks transpired between the time Magee offered Keeney the part-time position and the time Keeney retired, Keeney made no further inquiries regarding whether insurance would be provided if she continued working. The two part-time switchboard operators, Freda Driscoll, who was then 58 years of age, and Rita Plath, then age 39, did not receive health insurance benefits. 3