<p>A bill that would drastically change post-retirement health insurance benefits for municipal employees is making its way through the state house and has caused a small stir among Island town employees.</p>
A bill that would drastically change post-retirement health insurance benefits for municipal employees is making its way through the state house and has caused a small stir among Island town employees.
Sen. Dan Wolf and Rep. Tim Madden attended meeting.
Sen. Dan Wolf and Rep. Tim Madden attended meeting.
Proposed by Gov. Deval Patrick, the bill was discussed last Friday at a meeting with Island town employees and state Sen. Dan Wolf and Rep. Tim Madden. More than 30 people turned out at the Katharine Cornell Theatre in Vineyard Haven to voice their concern and opposition to the bill, known as H59. Included in the bill is an emergency preamble that changes retirement health insurance benefits for current and all future town employees effective July 1.
Both Mr. Wolf and Mr. Madden said they were strongly opposed to the measure.
“We should try and kill the whole thing,” Mr. Wolf said. “This is absurd; it’s outrageous and we should not even entertain it.”
Mr. Wolf called the bill “an attack on retirement.”
The bill is before the Joint Committee on Public Service. No hearing has been scheduled yet. Mr. Wolf sits on the committee and said if the bill makes it through, it could be a matter of days before the state legislature takes a full vote on the bill. The governor filed the bill in February.
The legislation comes at the behest of the state’s special commission to study other post employment benefits, which filed a report in late 2012 recommending the reforms.
About 30 town employees, most unhappy with proposal, filled theatre.
About 30 town employees, most unhappy with proposal, filled theatre.
Under the current post-retirement health insurance system, town employees are eligible to qualify for up to 80 per cent of premium contributions after 10 years of service. The proposed bill instead would require employees to work at least 20 years in order to qualify for 50 per cent of premium contributions. Employees would not qualify for the current maximum contribution of 80 per cent until 30 years of service. The recommended changes also include increasing the minimum age of eligibility by five years.
The bill would not affect those who are already retired or will retire before July 1, 2013, certain other employees nearing retirement, as well as those who receive eligibility pensions.
Chilmark Free Public Library director Ebba Hierta said she is eligible for retirement in June, and if the bill is approved, she will have to choose in a matter of days whether to retire in order to continue to receive current health insurance benefits.
“We took these jobs with these promises and I think this is thievery,” she said. “It’s plain and simple, [the state] is stealing from benefits that we’ve been promised.”
Edgartown librarian Deborah MacInnis called the change “a drastic breach of promise.”
“We get extra benefits because we’re getting paid less than we would in the private sector . . . and now you’re going to take that away too,” she said. “Why is anyone going to want to work in the public sector?”
Changes could result in less-qualified job applicants, said West Tisbury town accountant Bruce Stone.
Changes could result in less-qualified job applicants, said West Tisbury town accountant Bruce Stone.
West Tisbury town accountant Bruce Stone said towns have a difficult time hiring qualified people and a consequence of the reform may be that towns end up “with less qualified people for jobs.”
Dukes County treasurer Noreen Flanders said the most pressing issue was the emergency preamble portion of the legislation.
“That to me is what has to go immediately. You have to give people time, the legislature time and the people who are affected enough time for the conversation to say how can we make this work,” she said. “The emergency preamble is awful. That’s the worst.”
Mr. Madden urged the group to reach out to members of the Joint Committee on Public Service and voice their opinion in numbers.
“I am not overly optimistic that nothing will happen, but I’m fairly optimistic what the governor has proposed is quite a reach,” Mr. Madden said. “My guess is if a bill like this moves out of committee, it will be moving [to the floor for a full vote] very, very quickly.”
“The most important thing this group can do is reach out to counterparts across the commonwealth.”
Comments
Americans needs to wake up
Caroline New YorkAmericans needs to wake up and realize that retirement funds are killing the economy, one town at a time. Where I am in NY, town employees are (albeit begrudgingly) accepting the fact that budgets can no longer sustain lifelong benefits. Take, for example, my school district. It used to pay a lifetime six-digit pension to all former school superintendents as well as lifetime healthcare for everyone in that employee's family. No more. Town employees now kick in almost half their healthcare costs, whereas before, when towns felt flush with cash, all benefits were paid for. New fire and police officers hired around me no longer get guaranteed retirement benefits. Those of us who are not town employees who lost retirement funds due to other reasons aren't crying foul. We have to go out and work again. That's the fact of life. If we as non-town employees have to make major sacrifices for the benefit of the greater good of our economy, why on EARTH shouldn't town employees?
Shame on Mr. Wolf for opposing a future where our economy isn't saddled with caring for everyone!!
DITTO
john Gault Oak BluffsDITTO
Hey John Gault, I guess I
Retired Not MVHey John Gault, I guess I retired at the right time.
You are so right Caroline and
Jim EdgartownYou are so right Caroline and about time. And public employees are not under paid. And remember for every public employee working there are one or two being paid in retirement. We have way to many public workers.
This is so far from the facts
Heather Thurber West TisburyThis is so far from the facts! Not ALL town/state employees are paid well. I work as an educational support professional helping to assist with intensive and severe needs students working for a meager $22,000 a year. I am at the highest step of the pay scale and will never receive more pay than I am receiving at this time. I am a college graduate and am working very hard everyday to earn the benefits I receive. I have been a dedicated public school employee for 9.5 years working with the highest at-risk/needy population until the age of 22 and needing all the benefits required to raise my family. It is out of the question that I could pay for 80% of my health insurance with the income I generate and will miss the opportunity to qualify for the retirement benefits in place since I have yet to meet the ten year mark.
Yes, other state and municipal employees do get paid more and do receive more generous benefits than the support staff, but we, the support staff, are the driving force that makes education consistent and continuous. Without these benefits fueling the drive to stay in the job, there will be a huge amount of employees leaving the job. And without the support staff, the classrooms will fail in providing what the students need.
Don't forget that the same
Ebba Hierta West TisburyDon't forget that the same first responders who rush out into harms way when the rest of us are running away will have their retirement benefits slashed as well. Is that the legacy you want to be a part of?
What many people do not realize is this: public employees in Massachusetts are not eligible for social security. We PAY into a municipal retirement fund. The percentage we PAY every paycheck is higher than the amount taken out of private sector workers for social security. When the rest of the country got a two-year payroll tax deduction, to an effective rate of 4.2% I continued to have 9 % taken out of my pay every week to go toward my retirement package. We pay more into our retirement because of the benefits we are promised.
This was the promise made when I took this job. When you compare educational and skill requirements, municipal jobs pay significantly less than equivalent private sector jobs. Why would anyone take the job paying less? Because of the security and retirement benefits we are promised.
I applaud these legislators for supporting a world where government keeps its promises.
Two of my children are first
Caroline New YorkTwo of my children are first responders. Two. I told them the DAY they were hired, you are NOT, and I repeat, NOT taking this job for the retirement benefits. You save and put away money every week for retirement. Work two or three jobs if you need to to save enough for later. I told them they were not to rely on taxpayers to support them later. So I have zero sympathy for you that you fell for the promised line. Did you actually think the nation could fall off a financial cliff yet your retirement funds would be saved as promised?
Municipal jobs actually pay MORE than many private sector jobs because of the perks you receive that the rest of us have to pay for. I pay for your benefits. Your neighbor pays for your benefits. And I can't pay anymore. The government has sold you and many others a bill of goods.
the benefits are way to
Jim Edgartownthe benefits are way to generous and after 20 years public workers go work in private sector for 15 years and collect social security. Ebba cry me a river but the public is not buying it. If public jobs were so bad why do those with the jobs seldom quit?
Jim, I wish I could also
Ebba Hierta West TisburyJim, I wish I could also collect social security because I paid into that system for 20 years before I became a public servant. Unfortunately, in Massachusetts, "double dipping" is prohibited. My local pension plan, which I also pay into, supersedes any social security I've earned. So I get nothing for the 20 years I paid into social security.
Caroline from your comment, I
Bruce Stone EdgartownCaroline from your comment, I believe you may be be unaware of two recent pieces of legislation that have already severely impacted public employees in Massachusetts? Signed into law November 18, 2011, the Pension Reform Act (Chapter 176 of the Acts of 2011: An Act Providing for Pension Reform and Benefit Modernization); and Signed into law July 12, 2011, the Municipal Health Insurance Reform Law (Chapter 69 of the Acts of 2011).
All of this begs the larger
Mr. B ChilmarkAll of this begs the larger question of how we go about providing healthcare for all the citizens. When we become resentful of others who appear to have a better "deal" when it comes to healthcare, we fall into the trap of fighting with one another instead of fighting for all of us. And you know who wins that game, don't you? The folks who like the status quo of our seeing healthcare as a "benefit" rather than a right.
Obama has done more than any
Kazrina Q. Doubtfire Edgartown / LaPazObama has done more than any other president in our history to make Americans fight with one another instead of fighting for all of us. He has even allowed others to easily come from afar into our country to fight us!
And you know who wins that game, don't you?
The sheeples on Marthas's Vineyard overwhelming voted for this guy again and now they complain, my mini violin wont help them ease their voters remorse!
Leaders of the "Martha's Vineyard Democrats" wrote Letters (Aug 2009) to the Editors saying; "So while we do the Island Thing and respect the Obama's need for a true vacation, with real privacy, lets also show our support by writing letters and making calls to those senators and congressmen and women who haven't yet gotten behind the presidents health care reform plan".
"We have worked very hard to elect this man as our leader. He has been working very hard for us. Now it's time to take a a deep breath, reach out and do it again. Our time to pass health care reform is now.
***Suck it up folks***!!
I suppose it is never to late though to apologize to all of us who tried to prevent all of this!
***List Of Obamacare Lies***
http://youtu.be/cLoxPMBwOEY
If there was a *like* button
Caroline New YorkIf there was a *like* button for these comments, I would give yours 100. Bravo. So well said.
DOUBLE DITTO
John Gault Oak bluffsDOUBLE DITTO
Triple ditto. And if you
Ben West TisburyTriple ditto. And if you think people are getting upset about healthcare costs now, just wait until the Affordable (stop it, you're killing me) Health Care for America Act kicks in full time next year.
Why should the working class
Barry lopes oak bluffsWhy should the working class have to carry town health care..Most municipal in employees get 30 to 45 days off a year with pay..While those in the private sector have lost time off..while the economy gets worse ..Because President Obama works to protect us..(joke)Not to mention municipal employees are the only ones in our community,still purchasing 30,000 to 50,000 dollar cars every 4 years..But yet they can not manage to pay for their own health insurance.And one thing Obama has never done in his life is lead.I know you crazy liberals want every one to take care of you.while you never give anything back to the community.Unless you are running for office and get caught.
Funny thing about public
Bob EdgartownFunny thing about public employees they always complain but never quit... If I am unhappy in a job i quit and move on...They all now it's a "soft" easy deal.
don't know what your town
tony longo east longmeadow ma.don't know what your town employees do at work "easy"?but in east longmeadow we install sewer mains,water mains,construct parking lot,installed 10 miles of fiber optic cable for all our schools fire dept police dept and buildings.build new office building for our rec department just to name a few of the "easy "things we do at our dpw
I'm afraid this is a sign of
Patricia EdgartownI'm afraid this is a sign of the future...our country is spending money that we don't have...and you will always have qualified workers, as jobs get scarce in the private sector....if you are working, be thankful !
I am thankful for my job,
Ebba Hierta West TisburyI am thankful for my job, Patricia, and I'd very much like to keep working at it until I'm at a typical retirement age. Sadly, this ill-conceived proposal forces me to chose between keeping my retirement health benefits or keeping my job. I can "retire" early now and have the town continue to contribute toward my health insurance (as they also pay the health insurance of the person who replaces me)and take a private sector job without benefits. This is just wrong. Why should the town have to pay the benefits of two people? This proposal will cost local taxpayers MORE!
Short memories, all of you.
Retired Not MVShort memories, all of you. those folks with public jobs and 20+ years took those jobs when nobody else wanted them. Back in the 70's and 80's when the economy was good, tradesman had more work that they could handle, money was flowing and people thought life was great. At that time, public employees probably felt resentful that all you critics were making so much money, in fact, when a town advertised for a position there were very few applicants. Why apply for a town job when I'm making so much in the private sector is all anyone heard.
You played your hand and lost. The economy tanked, the private sector suffered more than the public sector and for good reason. If you want your roads plowed, water to drink, your sewage to just disappear, your neighborhoods to be safe, your home to be protected from fire, or your health to be ensured by an EMT you call on public service employees to come right away, and they do!
Those of you complaining Chose the life you lead, you chose to stay in the private sector because the money was good. Those of you in public service chose wisely, you took jobs nobody else wanted at the time, you've worked all your life at it, and the tables have turned. Don't let those who chose unwisely make you feel like any less of a person, or a person who is looking for a free ride.
Time has a way of correcting things, stand tall, fight for what's yours, I don't recall public employees asking builders to give them a break or a deal back in the hay day, and I find it offensive that now this is being asked of public employees, much like the builder would have found it offensive in the 80's and would have no, and moved on to the next person willing to pay full price.
Very well put RETIRED and oh
rick james Vineyard HavenVery well put RETIRED and oh so true. Thanks.
I had worked the private
Seenbothsides MVI had worked the private sector for many years before taking a shot at the public sector. Just to make some aware I took a seven dollar plus an hour cut in pay for the same technical position. It took over seven years to get back to where I was. When taking into consideration the raises I would or may have gotten in the private sector I would still consider myself behind where I would probably be. There are also other things both pro's and con's to working the public sector. Public sector employees are in no way getting wealthy on easy street as compared to the private sector. In fact the money I have put into an annuity savings account is currently earning a whopping 0.1%. I will also probably be working until I am 70 to recieve approximately 60% of my pay in a pension. Also people talk about benifits. Lets remember they cant be eaten and we cant pay our bills with them. So we will tend to live a more meager lifestyle to adjust for less money going through our hands. The tradeoff is in some security that we dont have private sector competition and lack of job protection. So all in all there is good and bad on both sides of this arguement and I definately see a noticeable lack of skillsets in the municipla workplace because they don't offer enough income for alot of peoples needs. Remember people, The grass is always greener on the other side.... Until you get there...
That's all well and fine but
MikeThat's all well and fine but I have 12 years as a Correction Officer dealing with the worst people and I DID take the job for the benefits AND the Retirement, after saving and planning all the 12 years (I will retire after 20) NOW Gov. Patrick is changing the rules and not honoring what the contract that I signed when I started the job, I understand the need for change but do it slowly and over a longer period of time, so it will not have such a negative impact on pre-retirees. If the bill passes I will be paying 50% of my Health Insurance that will be about half my pay check when I retire, I won't survive on that so I won't retire and I'll work until the tell me to leave which will be 67 years old...The state will spend triple the money saved on the bill by paying the families of workers killed on the job (Fire, Police Corrections, EMT) not to mention all teachers, Good Luck with that.
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