MMA attended the opening days of coalition bargaining (state unions and state) on health insurance, held on September 26 th and 30 th, 2011. The state “opened” on the 26th with a health insurance presentation, in which they claimed the costs for the State Employee Group Insurance Plan will be approximately $120 million for 2012 and 2013. The state would like the unions to share the cost increase equally. On September 30th, the union coalition presented their health insurance proposals to the state. The union coalition’s position was most evident, that we will not pay more for health insurance; as state employee’s wages have been frozen four out of the last eight years, and because state employees “lost” $62 million during the state shutdown.
The next scheduled dates for health insurance negotiations are October 19th and 28th, and November 2nd-4th.
MMA ’s Negotiations Committee has met and prepared proposals for master bargaining and we are now setting dates to begin bargaining with the State.
MMA will provide negotiation updates as soon as substantive information becomes available.
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