County proposes separate benefits tier for new hires
April 11, 2008
County Administrator John Cullen gave a preview this week of the health benefits plan he will present to the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors (BOS) on April 15. Cullens report only covers current non-union employees and those who have retired from unrepresented positions. The recommendations include:
- No dual coverage
- Employees must enter Medicare at 65
- New Health Care tier for new hires beginning 2009
- Pursue Portability and cost savings
- Develop Task Force
- Fix health care subsidy at 2009 levels
Sticking it to non-union workers may be a timid but smart way to start the necessary cuts that should come from unionized classes as well. Despite the positive impact this could have on the current $2.6 Billion OPEB debt, one observer said, “Cullen is finally proposing the right thing. It should have come sooner as the BOS locked taxpayers into recent contracts including fire and the nurses.”
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3 Responses to “County proposes separate benefits tier for new hires”
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The county could not have handled this more poorly.
This gives Local One plenty of time to organize those workers to call Cullen’s hand.
The county has started to take these small steps in addressing its $2.6 billion debt for retiree healthcare. It proposed these changes in benefits for non-union represented new hires and retirees because it’s easy to do. They amount to only about 17% of employees.
Now it needs to show it has the political will to take on the unions and achieve at least that much. Since people costs are the majority of the county budget, major changes have to be made here to have a chance for financial recovery.
And the BOS should be willing to take a strike to achieve reduction in salaries and benefits of overly compensated people. The employees are paid salaries that are at least 30% higher than those for comparable jobs in the private sector and 60% higher benefits.
Maybe a 3 or 4 months strike would fix the budget shortfall since all those salaries and benefits won’t be paid. And we will still have our police and fire coverage while the others take this unpaid holiday.
County Watcher— everything you say sounds great regarding outsourcing expensive county jobs so we can maintain health services.
But Rollie Katz wagged his finger at the BOS on Tuesday and told them it wasn’t true and how could the Supervisors possibly listen to those who dare claim the cowed BOS is saving union jobs at the expense of County services, when in fact that is EXACTLY what they are doing.
Then Katz tried to take over the meeting.
That is exactly the Mr. Big/Union Goon mentality the BOS does not have courage to stand up against.