Friday, June 5, 2009

Another Attack Against Collective Bargaining

The Legislature is considering an important issue to your health insurance coverage and family’s well being. A government commission in Lansing is considering a recommendation to eliminate your choice and your control of your health care benefits. The recommendation would eliminate collective bargaining and replace your current health plan with coverage controlled by state government. A state-run plan could limit your choice of doctors, greatly, increase your co-payments and out-of-pocket costs, and cut your benefits at any time. Here's the actual draft recommendation:

“Require all active school employees to be placed in a State-run health care plan. Eliminate all local bargaining on health care. Local savings would depend on the cost of the State-run program compared to the current program. There would be State costs in implementing and operating the plan.”

The government commission is expected to finalize its recommendations this month. This remains a very fluid situation, and we will try to keep you updated and will let you know when and if we need your active efforts and support with legislators.