[Mpls] Re: [StPaul] Bus strike refresher

Mon Apr 5 20:04:51 CDT 2004

The conflict of interest between Dick Brainerd (MTC) and Mary Brainerd
(HealthPartners) did not go unnoticed or unreported. The following is from
Doug Grow's column published on March 28th in the StaTribune.
http://www.startribune.com/stories/465/4688377.html
-------------
"The council says Dick Brainerd not only has filed documents with the
organization pointing out the conflict, but also has removed himself from
all negotiations involving health care, including those that led to
HealthPartners winning the contract to be the Met Council provider.

In 2002, when the council was beginning a new round of bidding for a health
care provider, Brainerd filed a memo with higher-ups at the council.

"My spouse is currently Chief Operating Officer and will become Pres/CEO of
HealthPartners on May 1 (2002)," he wrote. "It is my desire to avoid any
actual or potential conflict of interest or to violate our code of ethics."

He is "walled off" from any discussions about health care, the council
says."
-------------

Tom Searles
Waconia, Twp.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Bernstein" <bernie at mm.com>
To: "'Chris Johnson'" <issues at chaska.org>; <mpls at mnforum.org>
Sent: Monday, April 05, 2004 1:31 AM
Subject: RE: [Mpls] Re: [StPaul] Bus strike refresher

> CHRIS - If this is the same "offer" by Sen. Bachmann that I think it is,
> she does not deserve your applause!   Her intent was simply
> grandstanding; an effort to embarrass DFL legislators who are generally
> supportive of labor causes.  Many senior management state employees have
> had their salaries frozen or have received exceedingly modest salary
> increases in the past three years. These are hard working, good people
> who give up a lot of perks that their counterparts in the private sector
> take for granted. A 4% cut in their salaries is not going to end this
> strike or solve a budget shortfall in any meaningful way.
>
> On the matter or Dick Brainerd negotiating with his wife's organization
> on behalf of all Met Council employees, this is a matter which deserves
> some very careful scrutiny!  It is hard to believe that this huge
> potential conflict went unnoticed and that Mr. Brainerd was actually
> allowed to be part of the negotiation!  I have to believe that Mr.
> Brainerd himself would have stepped aside from any negotiations
> regarding health insurance on behalf of the Met Council if his wife's
> firm was a bidder.  If he did not, this would be a huge betrayal of the
> public interest since the Met Council is a public agency.
>
> Jim Bernstein
> Fulton
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: mpls-bounces at mnforum.org [mailto:mpls-bounces at mnforum.org] On
> Behalf Of Chris Johnson
> Sent: Saturday, April 03, 2004 9:30 PM
> To: mpls at mnforum.org
> Subject: Re: [Mpls] Re: [StPaul] Bus strike refresher
>
> Eva Young wrote:
>
> > Hi Folks:
> >
> > A good blog on the subject of the strike - by a striking transit
> worker.
> >
> > http://tcmetro.blogspot.com/
> >
> > Some numbers to call:
> > Gov. Tim  Pawlenty
> > 651-296-3391
> > 1-800-657-3717
> > FAX:  651-296-2089
> > <mailto:tim.pawlenty at state.mn.us>tim.pawlenty at state.mn.us
> >
> > Metropolitan Council, attn, Peter Bell
> > 651-602-1453
> > peter.bell at metc.state.mn.us
> >
> > Steve while health benefits are a sticking point in negotiations - and
>
> > frequently are in union negotiations, they aren't the real underlying
> > cause of this strike.
> >
>
> Thanks for posting this, Eva.  I took a look at the website mentioned
> above.  It is quite good, even-handed and fair.  It's definitely worth a
>
> read.
>
> The April 2 item was particularly interesting to me.  There's been lots
> of talk about how well-compensated the MTC drivers are, frequently
> comparing top wage with that of suburban drivers -- a relatively
> worthless and invalid comparison.  As I mentioned before, let's see the
> median and average wages and compensation packages.
>
> Still, I suspect a lot of people come away with the thought that the bus
>
> drivers get better health care benefits than most of us, and that with
> the "spiraling costs of health care" (oh my!), they really should be
> contributing more.  The April 2 post shows how the Met Council proposal
> really bites into their standard of living.
>
> Most interestingly is I now do not believe their health care package to
> be so great.  A driver with dependents paid $265 a month towards health
> care in 2003.  I work for a small company.  I pay zero dollars a month
> towards health care for my family -- my employer picks up the whole
> tab.  Lucky me, right?  Well, I've also held quite a few other jobs in
> the past 2 decades -- and not once have I ever paid anything remotely
> close to $265.
>
> Further, I've worked in the managed health care industry (i.e.
> insurance, HMOs, employer paid health plans) at 3 different companies in
>
> the past 10 years.  In other words, I've seen this ugly beast from the
> inside.  If anyone thinks for a moment this health care problem doesn't
> apply to them, I've got bad news for you.  We're all going to be on the
> short end of the stick soon if we don't fix it.  The bus drivers just
> happen to be among the first to feel the pain.
>
> Lastly, this posting from Day 21 revealed some facts I had no idea
> about:
>
>  >>>>>>>
> "Talked with a lawyer from Winthrop & Weinstein who couldn't believe
> what the Met Council is asking us to pay for health care even after I
> explained how bus driving is a known unhealthy occupation. He asked if
> we had really done a good job of shopping the insurance companies after
> I told him the premiums which Health Partners is charging. I explained
> how the Met Council had just cut a five year deal with Health Partners
> but had barred our union from participating in the health insurance
> search process. I also informed him how Mary Brainerd, President and
> Chief Executive Officer of Health Partners was married to Dick Brainerd,
>
> Met Council Director of Human Resources. "There it is," he commented.
> The state's buyer, the husband, was negotiating with the insurance
> seller, his wife, all the while barring participation by an independent
> third party! If it looks like corruption, smells like corruption, feels
> like corruption - it's probably corruption.
>
> Also heard that a bipartisan group of 10 state representatives led by
> Rep. Frank Hornstein, DFL-Minneapolis, proposed to solve 50% of the
> difference between the Met Council and us drivers and mechanics by
> moving $13 million from the state highway fund to the Met Council, but
> that a powerful state Senator who chairs the Senate Transportation
> Committee, Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, said he had no intention of
> stepping in to resolve the strike. Thank you Steve Murphy. By the way
> Steve, where was your vote when Senator Michele Bachmann offered a bill
> to show leadership, a sharing of the pain, by having all senators,
> representatives and top state constitutional officers lower their
> compensation by 4%? Yes, the bill which never even made it out of
> committee.
>
> I have to admit that personally I feel unwanted, unsupported. We work
> hard to provide the 6th best bus system in the country, yet we are the
> only ones in our chain of command up to the governor who are being
> required to reduce their standard of living, may be conspired against in
>
> the negotiation for health insurance and have powerful people in the
> state who were part of the financial mismanagement of public funds dead
> set on correcting their mistakes by using us at the bottom."
> <<<<<<<<
>
>
> How on earth can it be reasonable to have Dick Brainerd negotiating with
>
> his wife's company for health care coverage for Met Council?  That's so
> far from ethical and reasonable, it's not even funny.  Why hasn't this
> made headlines?
>
> I have no respect for so-called leaders who can't cut their own large
> salaries by a measly 4% before cutting deep into the lives of everybody
> else.  In fact, I would say they are NOT LEADERS, by definition.  This
> principle stands for all top "management" both private and public.  Some
>
> meet the challenge, demonstrate real leadership, real conviction and
> real ethics and cut their own compensation before others.  Others do
> not.  Senator Michele Bachmann, I applaud you.
>
>
> Chris Johnson
> Fulton
>
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> Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn
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