Miami School Workers Reject Union Boss' Sellout on Health Care

[Rich Gibson <rgibson@pipeline.com>]

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/story/415656.html


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Posted on Tue, Feb. 12, 2008


Dade teachers reject health cost increase

BY KATHLEEN McGRORY
Teachers, classroom aides and other schools 
employees rejected a deal struck by union 
leadership and Miami-Dade County Public Schools 
over increased health insurance costs, union officials said Monday.

The plan was drawn up in response to a $36 
million spike in the cost of district-wide 
healthcare. The district had agreed to cover all 
cost increases until June 30. After that, 
employees who chose the most comprehensive plan 
would have had to share part of the expense.

But the teachers and other employees voted 
overwhelmingly against the package, arguing that 
the extra expense would eat away at their 
hard-fought raises. Their approval was necessary to set the plan into action.

''The insurance increases are connected to 
mismanaged money and misplaced priorities,'' said 
Shawn Beightol, a teacher at Michael Krop Senior 
High who urged his colleagues to defeat the 
package. ``It's time we put the people who do the work first.''

In response, the United Teachers of Dade is 
asking the School Board to fund all of the cost 
increases, President Karen Aronowitz said.

''Teachers do not make enough money as it is,'' 
she said. ``We rely on our benefits to make up 
for the cost of living. You cannot balance the 
budget on the backs of the lowest-paid employees.''

District spokesman John Schuster declined to comment.

The squabble over health insurance dates back to 
October 2007, when district officials told union 
negotiators that they hadn't anticipated the 
price increase and, thus, didn't budget for it.

Union leaders insisted the district cover the 
entire expense. They argued that schools 
employees hadn't had to pay their own insurance 
premiums in a decade -- and that many couldn't afford to start now.

The teachers' union declared an impasse with the 
district in November. The Fraternal Order of 
Police and the Dade County Schools Maintenance 
Employee Committee followed suit.

In January, union leadership reached an agreement 
with district officials: The district would pay 
the increases the first half of 2008. Thereafter, 
two of the three plans offered -- an HMO plan and 
a neighborhood health plan -- would be fully 
covered for the employee. The cost of dependent 
coverage under those plans, however, would rise 13.1 percent.

The most comprehensive option, a point-of-service 
plan, would cost the employee $53.18 per month. 
Dependent coverage under this plan would rise at least 23 percent.

At the time, Aronowitz said she was pleased with 
the agreement, in part, because teachers would 
not see any losses to their raises this year. But 
the agreement had to be ratified by members of 
the UTD bargaining unit: the 38,000 teachers, 
paraprofessionals, counselors and clerical 
workers employed by the district. The unit 
includes both union members and nonunion employees.

Most were not happy.

''It is not our fault that Rudy Crew did not put 
the health insurance increases into the budget,'' 
said Paul Lobeck, a debate teacher at Miami 
Southridge Senior High who voted no. ``We should 
not have to pay for his mistake.''

About 20,000 members of the unit voted last week, 
Aronowitz said. About 67 percent were against the package, she said.

Aronowitz and a group of teachers are planning to 
address the School Board at a board meeting Wednesday.

The district and the union will likely have to 
hold a hearing before a special magistrate.



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