Update 2 at 4:30 p.m., June 20, 2007

MAPE Negotiations Team's Report #11
June 19-20

Governor's team offers $500 and one progression step

The governor’s team proposal changed slightly on Wednesday.

WAGE PROPOSAL CONTAINED THE FOLLOWING PROVISIONS:

• Rejected adding any steps at the top of the range for any grid.
• Wage adjustment of $500 each year of the contract – zero percentage increase.
• One progression increase in the first year of the contract.
• Rejected proposal that newly created classifications would be compensated on Hay points.
• Rejected proposal that current classifications be adjusted to match Hay-point range assignments.
• Stated that classifications above the Hay assigned ranges may have to be downgraded.

The governor’s team introduced a brand new proposal. The following was proposed as a recruitment tool for new hires:

• Newly hired employees would be advanced up to 80 hours of vacation.
• This vacation could be used during the six-month probationary period.
• Directly related work time from the private sector may be credited to new hires for the purpose of vacation accrual.

Joint Labor Management Health Care Updates
June 4, 2007

The Joint Labor Management team met with the governor’s team on June 4. DOER Commissioner Patricia Anderson addressed the group and thanked us for our work. She acknowledged the Single Pharmacy Benefit Manager plan, which MAPE and AFSCME were instrumental in obtaining. The program will provide $5 million in savings the first year and more thereafter. She also acknowledged that this plan should provide better quality service to our members.

After 14 hours of negotiations, the following agreements were positive moves for the coalition:

• 15 percent single premium was removed (this included a premium increase of 15 percent for every member.)
• Reducing annual premiums from 12 percent the first year to 8.5 percent the first year and 10.7 percent the second year.
• Additional facility copays for hospital tiers were referred to the Joint Labor Management Committee for further discussions on the quality and benefits it would provide our members.
• The disability coverage was increased from a $5,000 maximum to $7,000 maximum.
• Remove the health care assessment for spouses.
• The Additional Death Benefit of $500, which is currently in our contract, can be requested by your beneficiary upon your death if you qualified for this benefit. We have agreed to change this benefit to a $250 payment to a health care savings plan for each qualifying member immediately upon retirement.

These insurance issues are outstanding proposals that will now be referred to the master bargaining teams:

• Health-care assessment requirement and coaching for members to obtain the $5 reduction in copays.
• Increase deductibles for all services except drugs and preventive care.
• Increases in assessment levels.
• Waive copay for chronic condition visits.
• Emergency room copays doubled.
• Increases in inpatient admissions.
• Increases in outpatient surgery copay
• Additional 10 percent after deductible cost to member for MRI/CT scans.
• Increase of 5 percent to members for services not subject to copay.
• Change prescription drug from 34 to 30 days.
• Expand drug copay to include another category of formulary generic medications. The categories now will be: formulary brand name/formulary generic/non-formulary.
• Maintenance drug incentive for members willing to accept coaching.
• Smoking cessation programs copays waived.
• Increase maximum drug out of pocket limits.
• Increase maximum nondrug out of pocket limits.
• Remove the copay for prescriptions for chronic disease treatments.
• Move insulin to a maintenance drug.
• Reduce test and syringe supply from 34 days to cover whatever the doctor orders.
• Short-term disability increases without proof of insurability.