From the date the tentative agreement was reached until today when the details were released, I stood on the fence waiting for the details of the contract and health insurance to come out in full before leaning toward a "yes" or "no" decision. I did not want to jump to any conclusions without all the details. Now that I've seen both, this has to be a NO for me. I did not care much for the contract when I read it Tuesday afternoon. UPS had their way in these negotiations and appear to have been better prepared. Even the bragging points for the union all turn out being cost effective for UPS. As a nearly 9 year part-timer, and even considering the 4 year progression and all these other small concessions, I would have been a borderline yes on the contract IF the health insurance was identical to what we currently have -- it isn't.
Now I read the health care plan, and while it's somewhat close to our current health insurance, it has even more concessions:
- Increasing deductibles every year of the contract compared to never having any deductibles previously
- Only 80% covered on diagnostics, compared to 90% in the current contract and 100% in the contract before that.
- much higher prescription costs
- Co-payments on eye exams and what appears to be reduced overall coverage on the vision plan
The overall compensation package is fine for now compared to other jobs, but what does the future look like if we keep giving out concessions every contract? Once you give them out, you don't get them back. This doesn't bode well for UPSers in the distant future.
This is only the begining. The changes to the health care plan have NOTHING to do with the affordable health care act and everything to do with a deal cut by Hoffa/Hall with UPS. We as employees of UPS and employers of the international brotherhood of teamsters should be outraged over this ridiculous offer.
The Teamsters work for us!
Clearly, this contract is loaded with concessions in almost every article. The Memorandums are just as weak and support the company's positions and not the employees.
The difference in health care plans is going to be whether you get "front loaded" or "backloaded" with costs. Front loading is paying upfront for the policy each week or month. Back loading is when no upfront costs are asked, and higher deductibles, co pays, participation percentages and money is taken out of our pockets and placed back into the pockets of UPS.
I have read some of the other threads where "some" on this board are taking the language lightly. They say, "oh dont worry about that", "it doesnt mean anything", but really, there is a reason certain sentences are in the contract.
Sentences DONT appear for no reason. Those are called Caveats.
These little qualifiers make the difference in meanings.
EVERY sentence has a purpose in the contract and when you read in the MOA on health and welfare , that the Teamsters Health care board can CHANGE benefits "AT WILL", you best believe thats what they are going to do. That sentence is structured that way for a reason.
Once this contract is ratified in this form
NONE OF YOU will have the right to complain when things dont work out and youre paying 500 bucks a month for coverage for you and your family.
Peace
TOS