Bargaining Update

Middle Management Association has recently completed the third and fourth days of negotiations with the State of Minnesota on August 14 and 15, 2007.

As a result of numerous discussions and exchanges between the parties on various Articles and Appendices, those with no changes proposed or ones that contained only technical non-substantive changes were agreed to. The following, whole or partial tentative agreements have been reached:

• Preamble
• Article 1 - Association Recognition
• Article 2 - Dues Check Off
• Article 3 - Employer Rights
• Article 4 - Association Rights
• Article 5 - Strikes and Lockouts
• Article 6 - Discipline and Discharge
• Article 7 - Grievance Procedure
• Article 17 - Insurance
• Article 20 - Housing
• Article 21 - Uniforms
• Article 22 - Supervisory Rights
• Article 23 - Safety
• Article 24 - Work Rules
• Article 26 - Savings Clause
• Article 27 - Complete Agreement and Waive Clause
• Article 28 - Labor/Management Committee
• Article 29 - Duration
• Appendix B - Prorated Holiday Schedule
• Appendix C - Prorated Vacation Schedule
• Appendix D - Prorated Sick Leave Schedule
• Appendix H - Department of Human Services/Department-Wide
• Appendix I - Vacation Credit - Educational Supervisors
• Letters

The August 14 discussions included Article 17 - Insurance. The State proposed changes to the "Corrections Early Retirement Incentive," essentially removing the cliff and modifying other substantial provisions. MMA objected strongly to this language and ultimately the State dropped their propsal. An Insurance MOU has been signed as of August 20, 2007. The following is a summary of the agreement on the Health Insurance coverages:

Article 17 - Insurance
All amounts for insurance years 2008 and 2009.

• Health Insurance Premium increases:
  2008 - 6.7%
  2009 - 10.4%
  
• Dental Insurance Premium will be reported later.

Health Assessments - All employees have to complete an on-line health assessment questionnaire as part of open enrollment and all must "opt in" for health coaching and those who do not will see an increased office/urgent care visit co-pay. You only have to take one phone call to decide if you want to continue with the coaching to comply with the "opt in" and then you (and your family) will receive the reduced office visit/urgent care co-pay amount.

BENEFIT LEVELS:
First Dollar Deductible for all services except drugs and preventive care.

	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
2008/2009	$50/$100	$140/$280	$350/$700	$600/$1200

Office Visit Co-Pays (waived for preventive services)

2008/2009	HA/No HA*
Level 1	$17/$22
Level 2	$22/$27
Level 3	$27/$32
Level 4	$37/$42

(HA means health assessment. The first number represents taking the health assessment, the second number represents not taking the HA)

Convenience Clinic Co-Pays

	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
2008/2009	$10	$10	$10	$10

Emergency Room Co-Pays

	2008/2009
Level 1	$75
Level 2	$75
Level 3	$75
Level 4	25% co-insurance and annual deductible apply.

Facility Co-Pays (hospital)
Per inpatient admission

	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
2008/2009	$85	$180	$450	25% after deductible.

Outpatient Surgery Co-Pays

	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
2008/2009	$55	$110	$220	no change (30% after deductible.

CT Scans and MRIs
The employer amended its proposal to:

	2008/2009
Level 1	5% after deductible.
Level 2	5% after deductible.
Level 3	no change (10% after deductible)
Level 4	no change (30% after deductible)

Co-Insurances for Services not Subject to Co-Pays

	2008/2009
Level 1	5%
Level 2	5%
Level 3	10% - no change
Level 4	30% after deductible - no change

Co-Insurances for Durable Medical Equipment

	2008/2009
Level 1	20%
Level 2	20%
Level 3	20%
Level 4	30% after deductible - no change

Co-Pays for Formulary/Generic, Formulary/Brand and Non-Formulary Drugs - 30-Day Supply

	Tier 1	Tier 2	Tier 3
2008/2009	$10	$16	$36

Maximum Drug Out-of-Pocket Limit

	Single	Family
2008/2009	$800	$1600

Maximum Non-Drug Out-of-Pocket Limit

	Single	Family
2008/2009	$1100	$2200

(In all cases the first numbers mean single and the second number means family.)

Other agreement dealing with health plan design:

Change prescription drug amount for maintenance drugs from 34-day supply to 30-day supply.

For smoking cessation therapies the co-pay for nicotine replacement therapy for eligible members will be waived as long as they have completed the Health Assessment, opted in for coaching and are engaged in the care management. (This can be through any organization that helps with smoking cessation.)

$500 Death Benefit

We agreed to change the death benefit to a $250 payment to a person's Health Care Savings Plan upon retirement. This is the value of the insurance premium the State currently pays for the death benefit. This will only be paid out once for each eligible employee. (In case you return to work for the State after you retire, you will not receive this again.)

Long-Term Disability

To increase the maximum amount from $5000.00 to $7000.00.

Most of the remaining "open" Articles and respective proposals are economic in nature and will be addressed in upcoming negotiation sessions. Supplementals and Inequities also still remain open.

Additional negotiation sessions are scheduled with the state for September 10 and 11; September 26 and 27; October 22, 23 and 24; and December 5 and 6, 2007.

 

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