|
|
| Jail union health plan costly |
| By timesleader.com |
| Published: 10/02/2009 |
|
Prison union workers receive an “extraordinary benefit” as the only Luzerne County employees who don’t contribute anything toward health insurance, the county’s financial recovery consultant said in its newly released report. “Further, this benefit is far outside the mainstream of both regional and national employers,” Public Financial Management (PFM) said in its report. Requiring prison union employees to pay 10 percent of premiums would save the county about $312,500 annually, the report said. The county’s contract with 319 prison workers in Laborers’ International Union of North America expired at the end of 2008. The new pact is in binding arbitration because the union and county couldn’t reach an agreement on their own. The prison has binding arbitration because the workers can’t strike. Arbitration is a gamble for both sides because a third-party arbitrator decides which terms and conditions will be in effect. Health care and wages are the main points of contention, county officials have said. Representatives of the county and union have already argued their case, and an arbitrator’s ruling is expected in November or December, said county Chief Clerk/Manager Doug Pape. All other county employees pay 10 percent of the premium or a flat monthly fee of $30 for individual coverage or $75 for family coverage, the report says. Read More. |
MARKETPLACE search vendors | advanced search
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
|
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think