Former Ochsner Health employee seeks severance pay

A former employee of Ochsner Health System is suing in an effort to obtain severance pay.

In a suit filed March 1 in federal court in New Orleans, Ronald Marcella, a bio-med technician, seeks $5,757.60 in severance, claiming his job was outsourced to General Electric.

According to the complaint, Marcella began working as a Bio-Med Technician in December 1995 for Ochsner Health System. He claims he received a letter informing him that bio-medical services were being outsourced and he would be terminated effective April 5, 2009. The letter detailed that the outsourcing would result in a loss of employees.

Marcella claims he requested severance benefits from the human resources department but was denied.

He made a formal request on June 11, 2010 but was again denied.

Ochsner Health is accused of arbitrarily refusing to honor its contractual obligation.

Marcella is represented by Blaine M. Hebert of Hebert Law Firm in Marrero.

U.S. District Judge Martin L. C. Feldman is assigned to the case.

Case No. 2:11-cv-00487