Inter Faculty Organization
BEMIDJI - MANKATO - METROPOLITAN - MOORHEAD - SOUTHWEST - ST. CLOUD - WINONA
Faculty Update
January 2004
WELCOME BACK!
I want to quickly bring you up to date on what is happening with our contract negotiations. As you know we have been meeting with MnSCU since last April to negotiate a contract for the period July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2005. Little progress was made until after the health insurance article was settled by AFSCME and MAPE with the State Department of Employee Relations (DOER). In this insurance agreement with the state, the parties agreed additional medical expenses would be borne by employees and the employee-paid portion of dependent insurance premiums would increase from 10% to 15% of the actual cost. With previous IFO agreements we have always negotiated and paid for 100% employer-paid dependent insurance premiums from our settlement dollars. In this case, the Commissioner of Employee Relations and the Governor’s Office refused to allow the process of negotiations to continue with respect to health insurance premiums. DOER informed the IFO through the MnSCU negotiators that the faculty bargaining unit will have the same health insurance contract and premium payments as everyone else. There was no opportunity to negotiate on these matters and 25 years of bargained agreements were ignored.
If you have dependent coverage (over 70% of our faculty) you will notice that your January 7th check will be reduced by about $40.
DOER Plan Imposed
December 2003
IFO Bargaining Unit
|
Premium |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
|
Employee |
$261.44 |
$304.16 |
$320.19 |
$369.58 |
|
Dependent |
$507.37 |
$590.28 |
$621.40 |
$717.24 |
|
Family |
$768.81 |
$894.44 |
$941.59 |
$1,086.82 |
|
State Contribution Employee |
$261.44 (100%) |
$304.16 (100%) |
$320.19 (100%) |
$369.58 (100%) |
|
State Contribution Dependent |
$456.63 (90%) |
$531.25 (90%) |
$528.19 (85%) |
$609.66 (85%) |
|
Employee Contribution Dependent |
$50.74 (Employer-Paid) |
$59.03 (Employer-Paid) |
$93.20 (Employee-Paid) |
$107.59 (Employee-Paid) |
Also, please note on the chart below, the cost effects of the State of Minnesota’s insurance plan on its employees.
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Why We Have Requested Interest Arbitration |
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This is my summary based on the AFSCME settlement 10/16/03 based on my assumptions and calculations, hopefully correct. Should you have questions, concerns, or corrections please email my home at duowcewy@hotmail.com -- Rod Henry, IFO Negotiator, Bemidji State University |
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|
2004 |
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|
Faculty Dependent Status |
Faculty Needs Status |
Premiums |
Co-pay Cost '04 |
Total '04 |
Total Cost |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Faculty, No Dependents |
Low Medical Needs |
$0.00 |
$0.00 |
$0.00 |
$0.00 |
|
|
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|
Faculty, No Dependents |
High Medical Needs |
$0.00 |
$1,400.00 |
$1,400.00 |
($1,400.00) |
|
|
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|
Faculty, Dependents |
Low Medical Needs |
$1,118.52 |
$0.00 |
$1,118.52 |
($1,118.52) |
|
|
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|
Faculty, Dependents |
High Medical Needs |
$1,118.52 |
$2,800.00 |
$3,918.52 |
($3,918.52) |
|
2005 |
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|
Faculty Dependent Status |
Faculty Needs Status |
Premiums Cost '05 |
Co-pay Cost '05 |
Total '05 |
Total Cost |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Faculty, No Dependents |
Low Medical Needs |
$0.00 |
$0.00 |
$0.00 |
$750.00 |
|
|
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|
Faculty, No Dependents |
High Medical Needs |
$0.00 |
$1,650.00 |
$1,650.00 |
($900.00) |
|
|
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|
Faculty, Dependents |
Low Medical Needs |
$1,290.96 |
$0.00 |
$1,290.96 |
($540.96) |
|
|
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|
Faculty, Dependents |
High Medical Needs |
$1,290.96 |
$3,300.00 |
$4,590.96 |
($3,840.96) |
Although you may not have dependent coverage, please note the increase in your co-pay amount.
I am enclosing IFO's request for interest arbitration on December 9, 2003 and the December 22, 2003 response from MnSCU.
We are currently back in mediation and awaiting a proposal from MnSCU to hopefully move ahead in the negotiations process.
I must let you know that the State has arbitrarily reduced the earning power of faculty. I firmly believe that the Office of the Chancellor must understand that we are at the 50% level of salaries paid across the nation. Yet in the early 1980s we ranked at the 80% level. We must be able to recruit, hire and retain quality faculty to meet our state missions of our State Universities. We have to look long term to help insure that our institutions retain our quality and continue our programs of excellence.
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at:
Jim Pehler, President
Inter Faculty Organization
165 Western Avenue N, Suite 8
Saint Paul, MN 55101
800/325-9644 x0
651/227-8442 x0
CONTACT US