By: Health Insurance
Submitted: 2009-10-16 12:11:41 | Word Count: 505
Hundreds of Brevard teachers, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, janitors and other support staff will dress in black Tuesday to protest an increase in health insurance costs that they say is akin to a pay cut.
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Hundreds of Brevard teachers, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, janitors and other support staff will dress in black Tuesday to protest an increase in health insurance costs that they say is akin to a pay cut.
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The Brevard Federation of Teachers also plans to make a presentation Tuesday night before the school board, which voted last week to hike costs for all employees. This is the first time the current leadership -- Janet Eastman, John Russo and Dan Bennett-- has requested time before the board.
"We want to know why the board has such little respect for people who are in the classroom day in and day out, and make this county shine," said Janet Eastman, union president. "When will they treat employees with the respect due to them and pay a decent wage with decent benefits? . . . The district funds everything under the sun before they even bring money to the table for benefits and wages."
The union wants the school district to use money from a $19.9 million contingency fund to pay for a projected $12 million deficit in the health care trust fund.
Eastman has argued that the district is imposing the change on teachers and hasn't participated in true collective bargaining.
"I was aghast and appalled that this county has literally chucked out collaborative bargaining," she said. "I'm going to continue to fight."
Joy Salamone, the school district's chief negotiator, disagreed. "I'm really sorry that the union is taking that stance," she said.
Brevard Federation of Teachers and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Local 1010, will likely present results Tuesday night from their members' votes on the increase. Neither union is expected to ratify the changes.
Changes to the health insurance plan include a $30 per month increase to all employee health insurance premiums, increases in medical co-pays and elimination of free eye insurance. (Employees would still be offered vision coverage, but pay a premium like health insurance.)
The board voted 3-2 to impose the changes. Board members Barbara Murray and Amy Kneessy opposed the measure.
The school board isn't likely to rule on the matter again. Changes to health insurance costs will take place in January.
Contract negotiations, including salary discussions, for the 2010-11 school year will begin in May.
