HEALTH BENEFITS FUNDING CONTRACT AGREEMENT REACHED

The Federation-led coalition of all state employee unions today held the line on affordable health care when they reached agreement with the state on the health care benefits article going in all Federation contracts, as well as all other state employee contracts.

Federation representatives led by Chief Negotiator Steve Kreisberg of AFSCME fought off proposed management takeaways, maintained the current premium share structure and won important wellness incentives.

The health care article was a big victory for Federation members who identified affordable health care as one of their top “must have priorities” in the 2009-2011 contract. The Federation members on the Health Care Coalition were adamant about winning these provisions because of members’ strong call to hold the line on affordable health care.

Under the agreement, state employees covered by the health benefits funding article will continue to pay 12 percent of the cost of their health care premiums. The state will continue to pick up 88 percent.

The health care article also includes two key provisions promoting wellness:

• A big win is the provision that if health cost increases stay under a certain level that employees would see the savings used to promote wellness benefits.

• And employees could use state time to take the state’s Health Risk Assessment survey. The state wants more employees to take the survey to promote a “healthy and productive workforce.”

This contract article covers calendar years 2010 and 2011. This is not to be confused with the 2009 health insurance premium rates adopted July 9 by the Public Employees Benefits Board.

The agreement came shortly after 6:15 p.m. The negotiations took place at The Evergreen State College in Olympia.

The Federation members on the Health Care Coalition on hand for the July 10 bargaining session were: Rodolfo Franco, Seattle Community College, Local 304, representing the Higher Education Coalition; Danette Rogers, University of Washington Tacoma Campus, Local 1488, representing the UW team; Cathy Green, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, Local 931, representing the EWU team; from the General Government Bargaining Team, Natasha Pranger, Washington State Patrol Crime Lab, Seattle, Local 304, Craig Gibelyou, Western State Hospital, Local 793, Lakewood, and Sue Henricksen, DD Field Services, Tacoma, Local 53; Federation officers Carol Dotlich (president), Howard Ocobock (vice president) and Lee Novak (secretary); Federation Executive Director Greg Devereux; and Steve Kreisberg, AFSCME, chief negotiator.