Page 6 - Work Force January 2021

Union members fight back against attempt to cut retiree health benefits
JAMESTOWN — CSEA and other union members recently stood together and successfully convinced the Jamestown City Council to defeat a proposal by the mayor that would have forced city retirees off their city-provided health care coverage our union had previously negotiated for them.
On November 30, the council approved several amendments before passing a 2021 budget, the most significant being no changes to health insurance coverage for Medicare-eligible retirees. It didn’t happen without a fight.
Earlier this year,
Jamestown Mayor
Eddie Sundquist and the council publicly discussed the proposal that would supposedly save the city over $1.1 million in health care costs.
Sundquist had proposed to cut the city’s budget on the backs of retirees, specifically by cutting the negotiated
retiree health insurance plan and requiring retirees age 65 and over to enroll in a Medicare supplemental plan.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge, many local governments are scrambling to balance their budgets as the federal government has not delivered
much-needed aid to local municipalities.
When the Jamestown mayor released his proposal, union members were determined that
the city would not balance its budget
on the backs of its public employees and retirees.
Many stakeholders came forward to
point out the mayor’s proposal not only violated city collective bargaining agreements, it reneged on hard-earned benefits earned by retirees.
A week before the budget vote, several council members said
Chautauqua County Local President Bonnie Peters addresses rally attendees.
Union members join in solidarity.
6 The Work Force
January 2021
“We hope this sends a strong message to other municipalities that you can expect a labor fight if you try to circumvent the language in our collective bargaining agreements.”
they didn’t think the proposal should remain in the budget, with one reason being the change was not negotiated with the city’s six collective bargaining units.
This was an argument first presented to council by the city unions who represent the retirees affected by the change in policy.
Making our voices heard
In a show of solidarity, CSEA members joined AFSCME Local 418, IAFF Local 137 and the Kendall Club Police Benevolent Association for a socially distanced rally on November 16 to demonstrate their opposition to the proposed changes to the retiree health care provisions.
More than 150 people attended the demonstration, held with COVID-19 safety protocols, sharing personal stories with local media and chanting, “Hands of my health care!”
“We demanded
Jamestown city
officials make
no changes to
retiree health
care provisions
spelled out in our
contracts, and
they heard us
loud and clear,”
CSEA Western
Region President
Steve Healy said after the city’s November 30 budget meeting. “We
demanded our retiree members be held harmless throughout the 2021 Executive Budget process and that is exactly what happened.”
CSEA Chautauqua County Local President Bonnie Peters said if the mayor and the council ignored
union demands, all six city unions would have vigorously pursued legal remedies to keep our retired working families whole.
“We are very satisfied how the council voted, and we hope this sends a strong message to other municipalities that you can expect a labor fight if you try to circumvent the language in our collective bargaining agreements,” said Peters. “We just want an element of trust and transparency present in our relationships with our elected officials. Is that too much to ask?”
— Ove Overmyer
Healy