Healthcare cost raised for the retired

[olroadbeech]

Brownie has stated his union run plan continues at medicare age. I have limited knowledge of what plans "other posters" have as this is an anonymous forum. But it appears some posters are underinformed as to what they think they "know".
I do know I've read every SPD and union contract language pertaining to my H&W and have never seen any rates guaranteed past the term of the current agreement and normally see plans giving discretion to the trustees during the term.
Maybe a few posters should have taken the time to read and learn before they retired and before they call others idiots.
But remember "Who da cap fit, let dem wear it..."

I pulled out every H&W pamphlet i have and in one it said that they would send out a statement every year explaining what the rate will be for the following year. I am assuming the rate can change every year then. this is for the Western region from Daly City covering NorCal and Northern Nevada , I believe. we did not receive ours so they will be getting a phone call on Monday.

 

[The Milkman]

With all due respect.... (and you have mentioned it before)


That was a mistake.



-Bug-

You Are SOOOOO Right!!! More puppets taking orders from the Atlanta Stooges

 

[The Milkman]

Exactly,... It looks like I'm gonna be working longer if this old body of mine holds up,.. Not what I thought would happen six yrs ago,.... We got to support one another and try to educate the younger and newer people,... Try to encourage them to vote and take this Union seriously,.. I'm hearing people say "I didn't get a ballot" or it's just the "convention" I respond in saying did you contact your local, and I hear " I didn't have time" or I thought I had more time to vote, It's up setting to see more people just take these delegate elections as unimportant,....

The Newbies have no idea of how the benefits came into being benefits. UPS did not just shake hands with the Union and say "We Love You, We will show you our appreciation for all the Hard work you do to make this company succeed by giving you these benefits" Thousands of those before us broke their backs, Knees, shoulders, ankles, and along with just those few, missed out on a Family Life afforded to most others. Divorces also were incurred. So people fight for themselves and others as in a UNION for better working conditions and benefits, Please just don't toss in the towel and give back that which was fought for everyone years ago at a great expense. Everyone is at a greater risk at this point in time for their Futures and those behind them. Those in the dark better get on the train and get involved.

 

[The Milkman]

Let me shed a tear for you having to pay $150 a month for health insurance after only having to pay $50 for seven years.
Brownie is not an idiot! He is in my local and upon retiring, we will be paying $450 plus a month to retain our healthcare coverage. $300 a month for us would be a wet dream!

How did your costs in your Local get to be so huge for it's retired members? Just wondering.Did our Local have more balls or something?

 

[brownmonster]

And how long will Brownie's health care remain at $450 a month? Does he know? What has he been promised? Is he prepared for
it go up to $700 a month? $1000 a month? And once he is retired does he realize he will no say whatsoever in how much it increases?
How does one plan for retirement if one has no idea when certain costs may be. I'll bet when Brownies health care goes from $450 a month to
$1000 a month and he has nothing to say about it he'll be just as unhappy as I am.

In one of my previous posts I said my retiree healthcare would be 500+ with no guarantee. My retired budget has it a 1000. I started saving for retirement years before I started at UPS. When it comes to finances, I'm no idiot.

 

[The Milkman]

And how long will Brownie's health care remain at $450 a month? Does he know? What has he been promised? Is he prepared for
it go up to $700 a month? $1000 a month? And once he is retired does he realize he will no say whatsoever in how much it increases?
How does one plan for retirement if one has no idea when certain costs may be. I'll bet when Brownies health care goes from $450 a month to
$1000 a month and he has nothing to say about it he'll be just as unhappy as I am.

You hit the nail right on the head!! That is my exact point...When will it end? And like you said, Brownie will have no say just like we had no say, but we tried to warn the current employees of the big mistake of buckling under pressure to accept a sub par contract. Now look at the end result. Maybe in the future Bottomups will say his wet dream will consist of half his net pension check going for benefits..........

 

[brownmonster]

How did your costs in your Local get to be so huge for it's retired members? Just wondering.Did our Local have more balls or something?

Did you have UPS insurance? We've always had Teamster insurance.

 

[brownmonster]

You hit the nail right on the head!! That is my exact point...When will it end? And like you said, Brownie will have no say just like we had no say, but we tried to warn the current employees of the big mistake of buckling under pressure to accept a sub par contract. Now look at the end result. Maybe in the future Bottomups will say his wet dream will consist of half his net pension check going for benefits..........

Our retiree healthcare has never been up for vote in a contract.

 

[The Milkman]

In one of my previous posts I said my retiree healthcare would be 500+ with no guarantee. My retired budget has it a 1000. I started saving for retirement years before I started at UPS. When it comes to finances, I'm no idiot.

I am sure you will be happy dropping 1k a month for all your years you busted your tail at UPS. Nice parting gift from them

 

[The Milkman]

Did you have UPS insurance? We've always had Teamster insurance.

UPS

 

[brownmonster]

UPS

I never had that Cadillac plan.

 

[The Milkman]

Our retiree healthcare has never been up for vote in a contract.

I can recall voting on contracts with specifics stating what the benefits are. Pension increases, pay raises etc. But back around 2001 or so UPS rolled out a so called NEW type of insurance plan for us to choose from. That's when I started mail order drugs. Told"FREE" home delivery..$5.00 name brand at cvs etc and generics "FREE" at those outlets. Our retirement pkg at the time did not include dental and eye care. BUT...BIG BUT........If YOU switch to the NEW Healthcare plan when YOU retire you will have the same exact benefits as drivers at a cost of $50.00 per month till age 65. The only catch was YOU have to be on this plan 4 years prior to your retirement for this benefit pkg to go with you into retirement. Now $150.00 per month (only me no family) $200 deductible, 20% co pays on drugs (that used to be free) and 20% co pays on doctor visits (used to be 10% of approved negotiated rate) I don't know about you but I played by the rules, got on the NEW plan for 4 years and now look where the NEW plan has gone...It stinks for me and everyone else in the same boat I am in. I was on the East Coast when this went down years ago. So can ya blame me and the others who got the shaft by playing by the rules and switching to the New plan? I was always on the the traditional plan up till that time, and I was happy to have dental and eye care if I took the New plan, The traditional plan had no dental or eye care so it was a no brainer on my part or others who made the switch. To bad other Locals from what I see on these forums got some bum deals

 

[The Milkman]

I never had that Cadillac plan.

Then your Local let you and the others down

 

[542thruNthru]

I was told everything from HR people. Our local had no peer 80 or supplemental insurance after 65 which I know many locals do have. I am only paying $150.00 for myself. Others in my old Local that retired a couple of years ago are getting hit harder than me. At least I got 7 years of the $50.00 payment I was told I would have to pay. Those recently that hung it up thinking like I did about their monthly cost for medical are the ones I feel for at this time. I understand different Locals have a variety of plans, and I know our Local was one of the best. Too bad every Local did not have the type of benefits we had. The benefits we worked for are being chipped away contract after contract. I get the boot next May, Those following me and yourself are the ones I feel for. I know as yourself the beating we take on the road and the mental stress that goes along with wearing browns. We all earned those hard fought benefits which now as we are older need them to fix our somewhat broken bodies, I never thought back in my 30's about how I would feel now. Age creeps up on all of us. Our quality of life depends on possible future medical care that we can fall back on if and when you retire well before 65 like I did. I am sure UPS could afford to keep up the medical benefits for retirees that we expected at the time of our retirement, Some of us die before 65, and others make it to 65,and a new round of retirees will get their negotiated benefits voted on before they hang it up. retirees for the most part get 10 years of benefits, so when we die off the newbies will have to deal with their costs at that time. And the cycle repeats itself over and over.

I really hate to be this guy but.....

You got 7 years of $50 benefits and you're still not 65 yet. Seriously?! You do realize that pretty much %90 of the world would kill to retire before 65 right?

Sorry to be this guy but... cry me a river pal! I totally understand being upset about my benefits cost going up but if you really thought you'd be paying only $50 a month for 10+ years you were DELUSIONAL!!

I don't care if the POPE told you it wouldn't happen. You should have known better AND prepared better.

Go enjoy retirement. Drink 1 less beer a day and I'm sure you'll cover that extra 100 a month.

 

[The Milkman]

I really hate to be this guy but.....

You got 7 years of $50 benefits and you're still not 65 yet. Seriously?! You do realize that pretty much %90 of the world would kill to retire before 65 right?

Sorry to be this guy but... cry me a river pal! I totally understand being upset about my benefits cost going up but if you really thought you'd be paying only $50 a month for 10+ years you were DELUSIONAL!!

I don't care if the POPE told you it wouldn't happen. You should have known better AND prepared better.

Go enjoy retirement. Drink 1 less beer a day and I'm sure you'll cover that extra 100 a month.

All I can say to you is that if your Local did a better job then possibly you would be enjoying the benefits we had at the costs negotiated on our behalf. Sad to say but, The old saying "United WE Stand Divided We Fall" Looks like Division amongst the rank and file has caused such disparity in various Locals in our country

 

[bottomups]

I have been full time in my local for 30 years and have always had Teamster administered healthcare benefits. Just maybe, having retirees pay a reasonable amount for retiree health insurance has allowed the plan to remain viable. At 65 years of age our premiums drop as it becomes secondary to Medicare.
Having a viable healthcare plan has allowed my local to place additional funds into our pension. Our pension fund is strong and has actually increased the accrual rate the last two years.
They are now looking into the possibility of increasing pension payouts to past retirees. This all happening as many pension are failing around the country and cutting their payouts.

 

[oldupsman]

I really hate to be this guy but.....

You got 7 years of $50 benefits and you're still not 65 yet. Seriously?! You do realize that pretty much %90 of the world would kill to retire before 65 right?

Sorry to be this guy but... cry me a river pal! I totally understand being upset about my benefits cost going up but if you really thought you'd be paying only $50 a month for 10+ years you were DELUSIONAL!!

I don't care if the POPE told you it wouldn't happen. You should have known better AND prepared better.

Go enjoy retirement. Drink 1 less beer a day and I'm sure you'll cover that extra 100 a month.

I'm not in this discussion for myself. I'm trying to let people know not to vote for a adminstration or a contract that doesn't
address this issue. You don't think the pension is next? Now they're telling people who are retired they are going to
cut their pension in half. Who makes plans for retirement thinking their pension is going to get cut in half down the road.
No one.

 

[oldupsman]

I have been full time in my local for 30 years and have always had Teamster administered healthcare benefits. Just maybe, having retirees pay a reasonable amount for retiree health insurance has allowed the plan to remain viable. At 65 years of age our premiums drop as it becomes secondary to Medicare.
Having a viable healthcare plan has allowed my local to place additional funds into our pension. Our pension fund is strong and has actually increased the accrual rate the last two years.
They are now looking into the possibility of increasing pension payouts to past retirees. This all happening as many pension are failing around the country and cutting their payouts.

You let me know when your local increases pension benefits for its retirees. That will be a first in the history of labor.
You'll be a groundbreaker. And I'll believe that one when I see it.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

I'm not in this discussion for myself. I'm trying to let people know not to vote for a adminstration or a contract that doesn't
address this issue. You don't think the pension is next? Now they're telling people who are retired they are going to
cut their pension in half. Who makes plans for retirement thinking their pension is going to get cut in half down the road.
No one.

The members didn't even vote on the contract. How many do you think are going to vote this election?

 

[bottomups]

I'm not in this discussion for myself. I'm trying to let people know not to vote for a adminstration or a contract that doesn't
address this issue. You don't think the pension is next? Now they're telling people who are retired they are going to
cut their pension in half. Who makes plans for retirement thinking their pension is going to get cut in half down the road.
No one.

I have.
Will be a bonus if I'm able to collect my pension and social security during all of my retirement years. However, I should be able to live comfortably without them if the bottom falls out.