Texas
Pension Review Board
Meeting
I
attended the Texas Pension Review Board meeting on March 8th in
Austin
. Ted Benavides, Randy
Stalnacker and Carla Brewer were also there. In addition to me representing
the Steelworkers, Mr. Charles Griffith was there for the Dallas Retirees
Association.
As
expected, the city did request and have granted a 90 day extension.
Benavides assured them that he did ask council if he could represent the
city and they did grant him that power, so he was as official as he could
be. :) The board kinda got a chuckle out of that. They outlined what the new
committee had been up to, and a few things that they might be thinking of as
an answer to
Dallas
' problems. He did
promise that he would have progress to report in 90 days, council willing of
course.
Stalnecker
then outlined what the committee has found and decided so far, overall,
there was no problem with the running of the fund, it is just under funded.
Griffith
and I were then slated to make public comment, but as nothing new had been
suggested or proposed we merely thanked the TPRB for their efforts on our
behalf and reminded them that the employees and retirees had
been very patient and were still waiting for full funding.
Other
Pension Committee News – Supposedly our pension benefits are perhaps a
little better than the lowest private industry average. The
City’s Civilian pension plan benefits are lower than the higher end
private plans. So, we are NOT making out like some think.
Things
Could be Worse…
At the
beginning of March, I attended the first ever Steelworkers conference
devoted solely to Service Sector employees. There were many different
service sectors represented, higher education, security, and of course
public employees, lots and lots of public employees. To say that we face
unique challenges since we use public money is of course an understatement.
But I did learn many things that might assist us, and met lots of employees
from different states, counties and cities.
Believe
it or not, I even met a few city and county employees from
Alabama
who are worse off than we
are. Frankly I was amazed! To be honest I wasn’t sure if I should feel
good that there was someone lower on the food chain than us, or panicked
because that is where we are headed.
People,
people, people… let me tell you, as bad as we have it, life sucks so much
worse when you do not have civil service protections. I know, they don’t
seem like much to us, compared to the protections available to the private
sector, but believe me, the people I met in
Alabama
would have thought they
had died and gone to heaven if they could get them instituted in their work
municipalities. Who knew?
Well
apparently a few people knew. Have you looked on the city web site lately to
see the charter change proposals? No? Well don’t bother, they have been
removed. Look, the way it works as the laws currently stand, many laws
protecting to private sector employees do not apply to us. Until such time
as the STATE laws are changed to protect us, any erosion of our civil
service protections is a direct attack on civilian city employees.
- M. Frey
Dallas
County
Anti-Labor
?
Recently
a fellow employee asked what the association can really do, since we cannot
strike under current law. This seems a bit of an odd question, since other
municipal associations like Police and Fire do just fine. Of course I do
have to admit that one of the reasons they do so well is that they stick
together with other associations across the state.
This
brings us to the problem of the moment. It seems that we have public
employees right here in
Dallas
which are being blocked from forming an association by our
very own
Dallas
County
officials. Not good for us
in the labor long run. After all, the more civilian public employees in an
association of some sort, the better off we will all be some day when we
need to carry a problem to
Austin
.
It
seems that in
Dallas
County
we have a group of
employees called the Dallas County Community Supervision & Corrections
Department who want to associate. Unfortunately for them, they are kinda the
bastard step-children of the
Dallas
County
system. The money for
their probation department is given to
Dallas
County
by a special statewide
fund. They are hired by hired
by, paid by, overseen by, and get retirement benefits from
Dallas
County
. Oh, and they are suppose
to receive all the benefits and have the same working conditions of other
Dallas County Employees.
Which
they do, except for this one activity. Where other county employees can and
do join various associations and have their dues deducted, some how they are
not permitted the same rights. Odd yes? It seems that they are in some kind
of weird fiefdom relationship with the various judges and county officials
that oversee their little slice of … shall we say ‘heaven’.
After much wrangling and fussing, they finally got fed up and filed a law
suit against their department.
Lawsuit!
Eeeek. Word came down from on
high that they ‘would’ have been granted this right, but they needed a
quarter of their department and sadly, they don’t have the numbers. A
quick scan of the real department list burst that bubble. Oh, they do?
Bummer. Well I guess that leaves the department no recourse except to kick
it up the chain and have someone from the State Attorney Generals Office
take on the case.
Why?
What is the story here? What on earth is so important about this one
department, that our county officials not only feel like squandering our
money to fight it, but also drag in our state officials? Is this a major
stall tactic or what? There is one small chance to solve this before is
costs all concerned a ton of money. Apparently the Dallas County
Commissioners can, if they choose to, over ride this departmental decision
and stop this nonsense once and for all.
Please
call your
County
Commissioner
and urge them to stop this
farce right now. This is not only harmful to us as a labor movement; it will
cost us money as taxpayers.
What
district you are in? Look here
http://www.dallascounty.org/html/comcrt/redistrict/cc-1a/ill-4cc1a.jpg
Dist 1 - Commissioner Jim
Jackson
411 Elm St
,
Dallas
,
TX
75202
Phone: (972) 247-7552,
Fax: (972) 406-0615 - jjackson@dallascounty.org
Dist 2 - Commissioner Mike
Cantrell
411 Elm St
,
Dallas
,
TX
75202
Phone: (972) 240-1740,
Fax: (972) 240-1749 - mcantrell@dallascounty.org
Dist 3 - Commissioner John
Wiley Price
411 Elm St
,
Dallas
,
TX
75202
Phone: (214) 653-6671,
Fax: (214) 653-7057 - jprice@dallascounty.org
Dist 4 - Commissioner Kenneth
Mayfield
411
Elm St
,
Dallas
,
TX
75202
Phone:
(214) 339-8381, Fax:
(214) 337-9558 - kmayfield@dallascounty.org
CONSUMER
DRIVEN HEALTH CARE PLANS
One
of the items on this year’s budget is a proposal to change the health
plans that are offered to the city employees. The proposal called for a
“Consumer Driven Health Care” Plan. Not to put too fine a point on it,
this is one of those terms that are thrown around, but a lot of us really
don’t know what it means. Other something that upsets a bunch of the
retirees, what does it really mean? Let us ask a member who follows health
care trends and also writes about health care for other city groups.
*********
The
City Manager is planning to propose another change in our health insurance
for this coming year.
This is called "Consumer Driven Health Care Plans” These plans
have high deductibles, premiums are not much lower, involve medical spending
accounts, and usually the medication portion in tossed into the mix.
The
premise is that if employees know how much medical care costs, and if they
have to pick up most of the tab, they will negotiate with physicians and
hospitals for lower fees.
An employer may give a few hundred dollars into a medical savings
account for the employee, but when that is gone, the employee is responsible
for ALL costs until the deductible is reached.
This may be as much as $3000-5000 or more for a family.
The employee would ALSO have to put money into the medical savings
account just to meet the costs.
Pros:
This might be attractive to young health individuals who rarely use
health insurance anyway.
The left over money in the savings account, which is pre-tax could be
rolled over to the next year.
Cons:
Hospitals and physicians will not usually negotiate lower fees.
These deductibles may be $1500-2000 for individuals; it depends on
the employers plan.
These plans discriminate against employees with families, older
employees, and retirees.
If medication is included in this plan, you have lost the ability of
the insurance company to negotiate lower drug prices, and may lose the mail
order drug program.
You would not be able to fill a prescription or pay for medical
services until it was verified how much was in your medical savings account,
unless you simply write a check.
One major illness would require you to pay a large amount of money
out all at once. This
would be a real hardship for the average employee.
The
bottom line is that these plans are to shift most of the health care cost to
the employee. One
major problem is that the average employee can barely work in the current
insurance plan and a switch to this type of plan would be a nightmare for
everyone. Considering
the numerous problems the current insurance change caused so far, the threat
of another change is frightening.
Especially, if we are required to sign up for insurance without
knowing the specifics of the plan as happened this year.
Opponents of these plans feel that they will lead to employees doing
without medical care because they can no longer afford the medication or
appropriate physician care. Carol L.
*********
Information
has of course been requested on what exactly is being proposed here, but it
does seem that after years of the current employees paying higher fees so
that all could have affordable health care, the city is thinking of throwing
the employees who are older or have families into a higher payment
structure. Would this be unfair? You betcha.
Non-Members
vs Reality
I have
talked to many employees at City Hall both before and after the budget this
year. I feel like I must be turning blue. I hear all the reasons
for not joining "now", including "let's wait and see what
they offer next year". Talk about history repeating itself, these
same people told me this last year.
Get a clue people, the budget process is an on going venture at City
Hall. Out-sourcing is on going. The mayor is telling the
business owners of lower
Greenville
that if the sales tax
continues to grow then the city may be able to add additional officers with
no property tax increase. The mayor is distressed to learn that we are
not more fully utilizing the "police reserve officers" (no pay
officers). And just last month I was told that Mr. Benavides has asked
HR to look at charging for insurance based on pay.
Do you really feel like you have the time to wait? We need active
members, but even if you do not want to attend the meeting, we need your
numbers and your dues. To place open letters in the papers takes
money. We have to get our case to the citizens, not just to other
employees. Linda P.
*****
In
looking on the net under recent briefings the following not so good news was
found on page five in the FY 2003-04 Budget proposals so far.
–
Address public safety needs
•
5% pay increase for police and fire uniform personnel for second year of
three year plan
•
Increase “street strength” of police department
– No reduction in base pay for civilian employees
– Minimize reduction in force
Hummm, anyone see a cost of living increase in here
anywhere?? No?
http://www.dallascityhall.com/dallas/eng/council_briefings/briefings/20040204_Budget_PrioritiesFY05.pdf
Hot
Button Alert
Member
Chris K. recently spent the weekend attending a Union Action meeting, he
brought us back a lot of interesting information, much of which will be
published in future newsletters for the benefit of all our members.
He spoke briefly at the February meeting and hit a few of the
highlights for those in attendance.
One
item of importance is the need to get out the vote for the November
elections. As you all know, unlike some other states, in
Texas
you must be registered long before the
election to be eligible to vote. Please
see the enclosed voters registration card and instructions for new
registrants. Read carefully, the procedure for first time registration has
changed. Also there is information concerning when and how people who have
previously been bared from voting can register. If you are already register,
please give this to and encourage a family member or friend to register.
The
second item was that this next election is going to be an issue driven one.
It is vital that we focus on the main issue of importance to us, and not be
distracted by various side or hot button issues.
Let’s face it, right now the major issues are jobs and the economy.
Who has them, how to keep them, and under what conditions we labor.
This is
not to say that other issues are not important, because they are, but are
they the most important thing right now? Or can they be used to distract us
from other problems?
When
the economy is going good, we then have the leisure to debate and wrangle
over the hot button issues, but this is not that time. In this current
economy it does not matter what color or model of car you drive, it only
matters that your car does not get repossessed by the bank because you or
your spouse have lost your job.
What
have unions accomplished?
How
about many things we take for granted?
Unions
have made life better for all working Americans by helping to pass laws
that;
Ended
child labor.
Established
the eight-hour day.
Protected
workers’ safety and health.
Helped
to create Social Security, unemployment insurance and the minimum
wage.
These
are just the highlights of course since unions are continuing the fight to
constantly improve life for all working families in
America
.
March
Meeting Notes
Briefing
from Chris K. concerning Union Action meeting he attended at the beginning
of February.
Briefing
on Feb. 28th meeting with the Retirees.
Discussed
creation of local rapid response team to get information to members or
community as needed.
Discussed
ways we could increase our visibility and get our message out to the
Citizens of Dallas
Voted
to make a donation to Retiree Education fund for all the info and assistance
they provided last budget go round.
Voted
to put Spanish translation of basic mission and newsletter on our web site.
http://www.employeeblues.com
Shirts,
mugs, clocks, mouse pads… gear for the ‘gruntled employee.
J
WHAT’S
YOUR OPINION?
