Labor unions rally for strong health care plan, exchange proposals

Nearly 150 state government workers rallied in South St. Paul, with more than 300 MAPE members on a live Zoom feed, on April 23 as health care negotiators kicked-off bargaining for the 2025-2027 contract. The State Employee Group Insurance Program (SEGIP) provides health insurance and wellbeing benefit programs for state employees and other participating organizations. 

“Labor is proud to set the health care standard for other Minnesota employers,” MAPE President Megan Dayton told the crowd. “Being treated unfairly at the health care bargaining table is the only issue that has angered MAPE members enough to strike. One strike in 45 years, and it was over health care. Management better not be thinking that they can force labor to bear all the costs because they messed up the budget at the state level.”  

Later in the day, the union health care bargaining coalition and SEGIP exchanged their first round of proposals. SEGIP’s proposals included significant increases which the unions found unacceptable and told SEGIP so. “We understand that the medical plan may need updating from time to time to reflect changes in health care costs and trends. However, we are not interested in shifting the basic balance of cost sharing that we have established over the past 20 years,” MAPE Negotiations Committee Co-Chair Carolyn Murphy said. Here is a summary of the SEGIP opening proposal.

“This is a time to work collaboratively and creatively to meet these new challenges. We don’t see this reflected in the Employer’s proposals. We are hoping that further conversations can move us in a more productive direction,” she added.  

SEGIP’s first offer included doubling the cost of premiums and out-of-pocket costs.  These proposals would shift nearly the entirety of the burden of increasing health care costs to workers, with a cost to the average worker of $4,000/year. “This is unacceptable to us. We understand this is an opening offer and believe it will change, but it won’t change as much as it needs to unless we fight these take-backs,” MAPE Negotiations Committee Co-Chair Sean McIntyre said.  

Negotiations Committee Region 20 Director Gabe Perkins, who also represents MAPE on the bargaining coalition, agreed: “The best medical strategy is to apply pressure to the wound, and we intend to apply pressure. We need to stop the bleed.”    

Over the next week, MAPE will be rolling out education about this health care proposal and next steps. “We don’t want to have a labor stoppage but have to be prepared to if management holds on to these proposals,” McIntyre said. 

Negotiations Committee At-Large Member Kirsten Peterson, who also represents MAPE on the health care bargaining coalition, said the most important thing members can do now is talk with other colleagues, whether represented by MAPE or another union covered under the same health care plan we are. “It’s critical that everyone knows what’s going on and that members are connected to a MAPE leader, including your Negotiations Committee Representative, Contract Action Team (CAT) and others so you can get the latest updates and know what’s coming next.” 

Don’t forget to regularly check MAPE’s website at www.mape.org for the latest news. 

Photo Action: Take a picture of you/a group of members holding up a sign (PDF/Word template) answering the question:

“Why is health insurance important to you?”

Send your picture to MAPE