TA- Pros and Cons for part-timers

[Jackburton]

By not getting hurt or sick.

Or quitting.

 

[Bagels]

How do you hassle your way out of 80% ER, Major Medical, X-ray?

ER is covered in full on the first day of your symptoms/accident, and x-ray/diagnostics is covered in full at Qwest/US Imaging. Not certain where you see 80% major medical -- it's just a broad term ... it means the fees outside the office visit your doctor charges. The only reference on the pamphlet is toward the deductible -- it means co-pays (e.g. $10 office visit) don't count toward your deductible / it also means that if you see a doctor, you pay only the co-pay even if the deductible isn't met. This is unchanged from our current insurance.

Like I said, the benefits provide an option to minimum additional out-of-pocket expenses, and the escalators will help keep costs down -- which will keep the general wage increase in our pockets and help enable no-cost benefits next contract. Instead of getting hung up in the benefits, we should be fighting for a catch-up raise -- 20c per year would net all of us an additional $3500, which for most is several times what the new insurance will cost.

 

[Delivered]

With the continued use of PT cover drivers and single vacation day coverage. UPS will never have hire another FT driver until one retires or dies. Only then will the PT finally get to go FT, will probably have 10-15 yrs of seniority depending on location. Then they get hit with a 4 year progression which will increase to 5 yrs by the next contract. So with 15-20yrs of blood sweat & tears already given to UPS, I don't see anyone making it to a full retirement anymore

 

[Leadfarmer153]

All part timers should vote no on this TA.

 

[over9five]

All part timers should vote no on this TA.

All part timers should VOTE.....

​...would be a good start.

 

[UPS Preloader]

All part timers should vote no on this TA.

Spread the word. (To have a chance, the PT's need to vote.)

 

[Leadfarmer153]

Last year part time cover drivers at my center made around $21-22... The way i read this is we're gonna take a massive pay cut? Can someone confirm this? What is going on with this TA

 

[saintrick]

ER is covered in full on the first day of your symptoms/accident, and x-ray/diagnostics is covered in full at Qwest/US Imaging. Not certain where you see 80% major medical -- it's just a broad term ... it means the fees outside the office visit your doctor charges. The only reference on the pamphlet is toward the deductible -- it means co-pays (e.g. $10 office visit) don't count toward your deductible / it also means that if you see a doctor, you pay only the co-pay even if the deductible isn't met. This is unchanged from our current insurance.

Like I said, the benefits provide an option to minimum additional out-of-pocket expenses, and the escalators will help keep costs down -- which will keep the general wage increase in our pockets and help enable no-cost benefits next contract. Instead of getting hung up in the benefits, we should be fighting for a catch-up raise -- 20c per year would net all of us an additional $3500, which for most is several times what the new insurance will cost.

The ER is 100% on accident/injury only if you visit the ER with symptoms such as chest pains, server abdominal pain, fever, etc it is 80%

The Quest/US is actually an improvement IF it is an option. What if you are in a hospital where it is not?

The Major Medical Expense Benefit covers certain expenses for illness, injury or pregnancy which are not covered by the Basic Benefits previously described. If your Benefits Summary does not specify any benefits as Basic Benefits, all medical expenses are payable as a Major Medical Expense Benefit.


I agree with you on the catch up.

 

[RealPerson]

The ER is 100% on accident/injury only if you visit the ER with symptoms such as chest pains, server abdominal pain, fever, etc it is 80%

The Quest/US is actually an improvement IF it is an option. What if you are in a hospital where it is not?

The Major Medical Expense Benefit covers certain expenses for illness, injury or pregnancy which are not covered by the Basic Benefits previously described. If your Benefits Summary does not specify any benefits as Basic Benefits, all medical expenses are payable as a Major Medical Expense Benefit.


I agree with you on the catch up.

So if you are having chest pains and don't have the 20%, wait till you are in full Heart Attack?

 

[Bagels]

The ER is 100% on accident/injury only if you visit the ER with symptoms such as chest pains, server abdominal pain, fever, etc it is 80%

The Quest/US is actually an improvement IF it is an option. What if you are in a hospital where it is not?

The Major Medical Expense Benefit covers certain expenses for illness, injury or pregnancy which are not covered by the Basic Benefits previously described. If your Benefits Summary does not specify any benefits as Basic Benefits, all medical expenses are payable as a Major Medical Expense Benefit.

You're getting all this from a half sheet of paper?

-The verbiage on ER is ambiguous at this point, but it's not sensible to cover an accident/injury but not a possible heart attack. Most likely, if you go to the ER at first signs of a heart attack it will be covered.
-You can plan some x-rays/diagnostics at Quest/US Imagining and take the hit on the unavoidable ones at the hospital/doctor's. It'll even out . I've actually heard that there's more detail on this particular coverage that will be released soon, since some employees don't live near Quest/US. We'll have to wait.
-I'm not certain where you're getting your information on Major Medical, as that's not how it's being referred to in the deductible, but based on the examples provided to the union locals, you're certainly not paying 20% of a pregnancy or cancer treatment.

​Like I said, we'll have to wait for the book to arrive.

 

[realbrown1]

$3.90 over 5 years is a "less than cost of living" raise? You must be living on Maui. Aloha!

Yes, it works outs out to slightly more than 2% a year. Now my wife works another union job and makes less than us and is getting a 3.5% cost of living raise in their contract and it is less than our raise. But ours is a lower percentage raise (slightly more than 2% on average). I make 33.13 per hour. A 1% raise would be .33 cents and a 2% raise would be .66 cents per hour and a 3 percent raise would be .99 cents per hour.
Cost of living where I live is over 3%. So my original statement stands true. The raises don't cover current cost of living.

 

[Delivered]

​Like I said, we'll have to wait for the book to arrive.

Do you think the book will arrive, before your ballot does so that you can make an informed decision??

 

[Bagels]

Yes, it works outs out to slightly more than 2% a year. Now my wife works another union job and makes less than us and is getting a 3.5% cost of living raise in their contract and it is less than our raise. But ours is a lower percentage raise (slightly more than 2% on average). I make 33.13 per hour. A 1% raise would be .33 cents and a 2% raise would be .66 cents per hour and a 3 percent raise would be .99 cents per hour.
Cost of living where I live is over 3%. So my original statement stands true. The raises don't cover current cost of living.

You need to study economics. The raises you've earned over the past two contracts has been more than twice that of the rate of inflation - and it's likely this will be the same. Not to mention that personal inflation rates are always lower than the national inflation rate.

 

[Anonymous 10]

You need to study economics. The raises you've earned over the past two contracts has been more than twice that of the rate of inflation - and it's likely this will be the same. Not to mention that personal inflation rates are always lower than the national inflation rate.

Bagels you give me hope

 

[saintrick]

You're getting all this from a half sheet of paper?

-The verbiage on ER is ambiguous at this point, but it's not sensible to cover an accident/injury but not a possible heart attack. Most likely, if you go to the ER at first signs of a heart attack it will be covered.
-You can plan some x-rays/diagnostics at Quest/US Imagining and take the hit on the unavoidable ones at the hospital/doctor's. It'll even out . I've actually heard that there's more detail on this particular coverage that will be released soon, since some employees don't live near Quest/US. We'll have to wait.
-I'm not certain where you're getting your information on Major Medical, as that's not how it's being referred to in the deductible, but based on the examples provided to the union locals, you're certainly not paying 20% of a pregnancy or cancer treatment.

​Like I said, we'll have to wait for the book to arrive.

The memorandum states that the base plan will be the C6 with enhancements of phased deductible, reduced co pays, and mail order prescription drugs.
Do you expect other enhancements?

I am getting info from the plan document and central states website.

The memorandum also states the enhancements apply only to those moving to the CSHW. I have some FT in my building that are central states that believe they will also see improvements.

 

[DiligentUPSer]

I received a piece of mail yesterday from the union regarding the contract. They described the 4 year progression for future full-timers to be a victory in their negotiations. Wow.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I received a piece of mail yesterday from the union regarding the contract. They described the 4 year progression for future full-timers to be a victory in their negotiations. Wow.

Would you have preferred a two-tiered wage system?

 

[Anonymous 10]

Would you have preferred a two-tiered wage system?

That's what ups wanted.

 

[Nimnim]

I received a piece of mail yesterday from the union regarding the contract. They described the 4 year progression for future full-timers to be a victory in their negotiations. Wow.

Would you have preferred a two-tiered wage system?

That's what ups wanted.

I don't see it as a victory, not a defeat either. It's more a draw, and personally I'd have been willing to push to keep it at 3 years. Or at the very least a better wage progression for those 4 years. It's what $25 at the 3rd year which is $7 less than top now and up to $11 less than top can be at the end of the contract.

 

[Bagels]

The memorandum states that the base plan will be the C6 with enhancements of phased deductible, reduced co pays, and mail order prescription drugs.
Do you expect other enhancements?

I am getting info from the plan document and central states website.

The memorandum also states the enhancements apply only to those moving to the CSHW. I have some FT in my building that are central states that believe they will also see improvements.

I've quizzed by BA and he has told me that it's his understand that enhancements were being tweaked, and a final draft would be released & available shortly. So far, much of the language that's been released is ambiguous ... e.g. UPS guaranteeing the dental benefits will be unchanged -- does this mean we're stuck with a $1500 annual maximum? Does this mean our EyeMed plan will include Transitions? And the examples of a pregnancy & cancer patient being floated among the BAs differ from what's published in the CSHW.

I'm withholding final judgement until I see a final draft. But I'm definitely not opposed to escalators.