JANUARY 2006 - Retirees & Unions Beat Back Mayors' Proposal - Association and union lobbyists won a major victory this fall in the fight over local health insurance. Our combined forces beat back a challenge to our members' health insurance coverage.

House Blocks Romney Plan

Working closely with lobbyists from the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts, the MA Teachers Association, MA Federation of Teachers, Boston Police Patrolmen, and a variety of unions, the Association was able to make a strong case to Legislative leaders not to move forward with changes to local healthcare plans at this time.

In our November Voice, the Association laid out its take on the current state of municipal healthcare. From the Association's standpoint, many of the issues that are perceived to be a problem by municipal leaders can be remedied under current law.

Despite pressure from local officials, the House of Representatives decided not to include any changes to Chapter 32B in the health insurance reform legislation it passed in early November (H4479). The bill focused entirely on increasing access to health insurance for private sector employees.

"Our Association, along with the leadership of our union allies, put forth a great effort to educate the House Leadership on the issue of local healthcare. While acknowledging that some changes may be needed, we did not feel that the healthcare reform bill was the proper way to go about addressing a complicated issue," explained Association Legislative Liaison Shawn Duhamel. "By its very actions, the House agreed with us.

"We believe that the House leadership is sending a strong message to the municipal officials to work with the retirees and unions through the existing channels. Health insurance is expensive enough for our members, without them being unfairly forced to pay more."

Senate Drops Mayors' Bid

Municipal advocates suffered a major setback in their bid to unilaterally reshape municipal healthcare when the Senate dropped the initiative from their health insurance reform proposal that was passed in mid-November (S2265).

A group of mayors, from the greater Boston area, had been able to include language in an earlier Senate health insurance draft that would have eliminated collective bargaining rights for health insurance at the local level. This proposal, known as "Section 7", was dropped from the final version.

Leading the opposition to this proposal was Firefighter's President Bob McCarthy and Secretary/ Treasurer Ken Donnelly. The union produced a comprehensive white paper on municipal healthcare that laid out the argument against the information being put forth by the MMA and other groups.

"What the mayors and the MMA have proposed is outrageous. Instead of working together and using the existing law, they're seeking total control over our healthcare plans," said Donnelly, who is also the AFL-CIO representative on the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission. "There are a number of laws currently on the books that the cities and towns can use to help keep the costs down for everyone.

"Instead of working together, through coalition bargaining for example, they are spreading fear about a supposed crisis. We are very pleased that the Legislature didn't take the bait and cooler heads prevailed."

Association lobbyists worked closely with McCarthy, Donnelly, as well as Jack Flanagan of the MA Teachers' Association and Kathy Kelley, president of the MA Federation of Teachers, among others, in the weeks leading up to the Senate action on its bill.

"We are always willing to work with all groups and individuals to solve common problems. But we are not going to sit by and allow our member's rights to be eliminated," emphasized White.