MAYORS AIM FOR BALLOT WITH HEALTH COST RELIEF PLAN
 

By Jim O’Sullivan
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

 
STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, MARCH 7, 2010…...Over 20 mayors and municipal officials from across the state are plotting an end-run around Beacon Hill, taking to voters a bid to relieve local budgets by wresting control of employee health plans from labor unions.
 
An ad hoc meeting Friday turned into a strategy session for placing on the 2012 state ballot a referendum granting local governments more authority to structure health care benefits for their workers – a process known as “plan design,” often discussed by state policymakers but fiercely opposed by unions who argue that it interferes with collective bargaining.
 
Facing surging health care costs they said are forcing deep cuts in other areas of their budgets, the mayors said they had lost patience with state leaders.
 
“We want nothing more to work with the Legislature, the governor, and every stakeholder to resolve this issue, but the status quo is not an option, doing nothing is not an option, wasting hundreds of millions of dollars is not an option,” said Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, who attended the meeting Friday and joined a subcommittee launched to press the issue.
 
Curtatone called the odds of a 2012 ballot question, the earliest such a vote could occur, “extremely strong.”
 
“I guarantee that if we want to get it on the ballot, we’ll get it on the ballot, and we’ll win,” Curtatone said.
 
If the officials move ahead with the ballot threat, they will likely clash in a legislative election year with unions who have successfully thwarted past efforts to shift a greater share of health care costs to their members.
 
“This is about ending collective bargaining,” said Timothy Sullivan, legislative and communications director for the state AFL-CIO. “It’s about using an economic crisis to water down rights that they don’t find convenient.”
 
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said the capital could save $18 million through a plan design bill he has filed for several sessions.
 
Boston officials said that Bay State cities and towns will spend over $2 billion on health care benefits for workers and retirees this fiscal year, more than double the amount from a decade ago. Municipal health insurance costs have jumped 146 percent since 2001, compared to 86 percent for the state’s public employee insurance system, officials said.
 
“If we can’t get it legislatively, we’ll go to the ballot and get ballot approval,” Menino said. “I think the people of Massachusetts would vote for it, because it would give us the opportunity to put money back into police, schools, recreation, programs that are really suffering.”
 
Municipal officials plan to try to press for a budget amendment that would grant plan design authority to localities, powers currently enjoyed by the state’s Group Insurance Commission. Menino said recent legislative efforts have been hobbled by union opposition.
 
“It’s going to be very difficult. We’ve tried in the past,” he said.
 
Menino’s legislation (H 3736) has been languishing in committee since January 2009.  It was left out of a recent municipal relief bill passed by a legislative committee because lawmakers deemed it too controversial.
 
Unions are already unhappy with legislators and Gov. Deval Patrick, who have looked to public employee contracts for savings as revenues have crashed. State lawmakers have traditionally been friendlier toward labor contract concerns, unfettered by direct responsibility for municipal budgets.
 
In a statement, Patrick communications director Kyle Sullivan said the governor “believes we need to continue to work with cities and towns to find additional ways to help them get their fiscal houses in order, but employees should not be shut out of those conversations.”

The mayors said they wanted a stepped-up approach to reframe control of municipal health packages as, in Curtatone’s words, “a taxpayer issue.”
 
 “We’re committed to a long-term advocacy approach and we’re going to make sure the Legislature hears us and doesn’t keep pushing this off,” Curtatone said.
 

To:        PFFM Executive Board, PFFM Locals and PFFM Members

From:   Bob McCarthy,President


It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I proudly report; on behalf of the PFFM Legislative Committee, The PFFM Executive Board and the PFFM Membership; That Governor Deval Patrick called me today and informed me that he was approving Section 19 of House Bill 4359 of the so called "Mini Supp Budget".  Section 19. Restores the language of Chapter 32.Section 7; in regards to accidental disability pensions; that was inadvertently deleted in  "Pension Reform" and unintentionally reduced pensions of employees who were injured in the line of duty and subsequently retired because of that injury. 
The "Fix It " provision rectifies the inequities created by the drafting errors of the language in regards to accidental disability pensions.  Further info to follow.

It has been a long five months since we first became aware of the negative changes in the "Pension Reform Bill" that caused unnecessary financial hardships, with no malice or forethought intended, upon hard working public employees who became injured in the course of their duties and retired because of the permanency of those injuries. The list is too long to mention all of our friends who stood beside us and fought the battles since June 16, 2009, and we will be thanking them and giving them the proper acknowledgement and appreciation that they deserve in the immediate future; but I would not want to leave anyone out. I would be remiss if I did not thank the following at this time.

House Chairman Bob Spellane,(Worcester) and Senate Chairman Tom McGee (Lynn) of the Joint committee of Public Service; Chairman Spellane addressed the delegates at our biennial convention on June 16, 2009 and stated to the over seven hundred delegates that he and Senator McGee had just become aware of the punitive language that came out of conference committee and voted favorably by both branches and most likely will be signed by the Governor.  Chairman Spellane stated that he together with Senator McGee would fix it and that we had his word.

 Representative Spellane was true to his word and he and Senator McGee worked hundreds of hours with numerous legislators from both branches; together  with us to correct and draft the technical change that would rectify the problem.

We are extremely thankful to the Speaker of the House of Representatives Robert DeLeo and  Senate President Therese Murray,their staff and leadership team for the courtesies, understanding and patience extended to us over the past several months. Also, a salute to; Senator Ken Donnelly who was invaluable to us during this entire process.  Thank You.  and a very


                                                                   ''HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL"

2010 Local 1032 Golf Tournament will be held on September 14, 2010 at the Hickory Hill golf course in Methuen.  Mark your calendars.  More information to follow.