Fight for fair health benefits includes visit to SpitzerBy DEBORAH A. MILES
PEF President Ken Brynien and other union leaders plan to break new ground by meeting with Gov. Eliot Spitzer to let him know in a unified voice the health benefits package the state offered in PS&T contract negotiations is unacceptable.
A meeting with the governor has never occurred during past bargaining. But this time, it is being prompted by the several changes state negotiators have demanded in health insurance, including a change to the basic premium share structure for current employees and future retirees.
“Health benefits are priority issues for all union workers,” Brynien said. “In our battle to get a fair contract and acceptable health benefits, union presidents agreed it is important to let the governor know, eye-to-eye, the state needs to re-evaluate it’s contract proposals and bring something to the table that doesn’t simply shift the costs to employees.”
“President Brynien had the vision to form a coalition with other union leaders so we could present a united front especially with health benefits,” said PEF Vice President and Contract Chair Lou Matrazzo.
“In past years, union negotiators bit the bullet and agreed to necessary changes in health insurance to gain control of spiraling inflation in the program,” Matrazzo said. “Those efforts resulted in single-digit inflation in health insurance costs. There simply is no rational basis for large-scale changes in the program at this point. PEF members already pay a significant portion of the health insurance premium.
“We will continue to work with the state on proposals to further minimize inflation in the program, so long as it does not reduce benefits or simply shift costs to our members,” Matrazzo said.
Along with health benefits, most members want to know about raises. Although the bargaining teams haven’t even come close to seriously discussing raises, they did receive a financial plan briefing from representatives of the state Division of Budget in late August, as well as a briefing from a team of PEF economic experts.
PEF’s chief negotiator and director of labor relations, Roger Scales, said it was “an entirely academic and educational exercise” and what was most interesting was the presence of Gary Johnson, the statewide director of employee relations.
“The union looks at Mr. Johnson’s interest and participation in these negotiations as a refreshing change in approach. The only time we saw the last director was at opening day of negotiations and later in his window as we picketed the state Capitol.
“We are going into our sixth month of negotiations. During this time, we have used teams of experts, highly researched Power Point presentations, and just common sense. Our members’ issues have been presented and are being discussed.” Scales said. “We are making progress.”
For up-to-date information on negotiations, visit the PEF Web site or sign-up and read the Active Informed Member (AIM) electronic bulletins.