[Mpls] Re: Bus Strike: Here's the plan

[Michael Hohmann]

Mark Snyder points out...
> Before this strike/lockout started, Peter Bell chose to give Metro Transit
> managers 5% raises.

[MH] First, as has been pointed out, this is no lockout.  Second, I believe
the union got 7 percent over two years in a comparable time frame.  What
percentage increase have most workers (public and private) seen over the
past 2-3 years?  And, this is all history-- we need to look ahead to solve
these problems.  Perhaps the City has some ideas?  They seem to have
recently resolved their 'cost-of-healthcare' issues amicably and
innovatively.  It can be done.

But, I have some questions, and I'm sure they are shared by many others.
We'd like to know.

1. How do family health care benefits for state employees (largest unions)
compare with those of the transit workers (under current and proposed
contracts), in terms of monthly premiums, deductibles and co-pays?

2. What would it cost those state employees to pick up that coverage under
COBRA, should they leave the state workforce?  The cost for transit workers
to pick up their current family health care coverage under COBRA is over
$1100 per month (not including dental).

3. Do state workers have state-paid health care in their retirement as the
transit workers currently do?  If so, how long must they work under the
contract for such coverage?  And, if available, how does such coverage
compare-- state vs. transit?

4. How does this 'public' coverage compare with coverage in the private
sector (and not just for the biggest companies, but for smaller enterprises
as well)?  What is the avg. employee cost (and total cost- employee plus
employer component would be interesting) for comparable coverage through
companies with fewer than 100 employees?  [And, I'm interested in sample
data for a population of employers, not just a case here and a case there.]
Let's compare similar apples in a bigger basket.

Perhaps the Metro Council or a state agency has such data available, or
someone else knowledgeable in the health insurance industry?  Inquisitive
minds would sure like to see/understand the bigger picture.

And last, a few folks have previously pointed out onlist, that the
'cost-of-health care' issue is much larger than any single contract
negotiation can address.  Let's deal with the broader 'cost-of-healthcare'
issue-- for both public and private sector workers, retirees, etc.  This one
contract at-a-time approach does nothing to address the broader
cost/coverage/eligibility issues.

Michael Hohmann
Linden Hills

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