University of Michigan and its nurses still haven't resolved request to increase health insurance contribution
A request for the University of Michigan’s 4,000 nurses to pay more for their health insurance still hasn’t been resolved in contract negotiations between the medical center and union officials.
U-M and the representatives for the nurses, who have been working without a contract all month, most recently met on Saturday.
The next step, she said, is to meet with members “to figure out where they go from here.”
U-M is requesting that nurses pay 30 percent more toward their health insurance premiums, Sincox said.
Officials from U-M have said that other bargaining units across the campus already have agreed to the increase. The monthly health plan contribution paid by the average full-time MNA member is $127.47, union officials said.
It’s a typical request from medical centers throughout Michigan, Sincox added, as rising premiums and the economy put pressures on budgets.
While the dollar amount coming out of pocket would vary by member, Sincox said, she also described it as a substantial increase.
U-M and the nurses have other outstanding issues to resolve, Sincox said, but the health care contribution issue will affect negotiations the most. Once that is resolved, the union and health system will weigh additional issues.
A date for a membership meeting hasn’t been set, Sincox said.
“It will happen by the end of the month,” she added in an email follow-up to an interview.
However, Sincox said, she believes both sides are willing to resume negotiations. A U-M spokeswoman confirmed that on Tuesday morning, adding that the university is waiting for the nurses to indicate they are ready to start talks again.
At this time, there is no movement toward a strike although without a signed contract, that possibility cannot be ruled out.
Comments
Mike
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 11:13 a.m.
This is unfortunately the new reality everywhere. The University needs to be competitive with St. Joes to stay financially viable. Money budgeted for a building is not money budgeted for wages and benefits and that's a business decision someone made. We all were living an unsustainable life for the last ten years or so now we're in a big cycle of correction. Very painful, believe me, my own personal experience is a 70% reduction in income. I kept pretty debt free and have made the adjustment, others were caught or are being caught loaded with debt. No easy answers. I hope it works out as well as it possibly can for all involved.
Jrileyhoff
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 3:12 a.m.
These nurses are fighting to keep things the way they are? My husband has taken a 25% pay cut for the last 2 years while continuing to pay $500 per month for our family's health insurance premiums. Tough times...
Jrileyhoff
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 5:07 p.m.
I don't view our circumstances as unfair, just difficult. We are doing our part to ensure the viability of this small company during these tough financial times. I wish hardships on no one, myself included.
beersnob
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 12:14 p.m.
Eagleman you should hve stood your ground and said NO like we are trying to. All the higher ups still got raises some being 14%. My own manager got 11% on top of her already $120,000. So I don't think its fair that we get the shaft
eagleman
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 4:33 a.m.
Edith, why should you be spared? Who says it is unfair? Any company has to remain financially viable so we may have jobs. If paying a little more in premiums helps keep UM healthy so be it. If UM ever starts losing money than rising insurance premiums will be the least of your worries. I work for AFSCME at the hospital. We had to take cuts. We've had to pay more for insurance. So why not the nurses?
Edith
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 3:24 a.m.
And you wish for your husband's very unfair circumstances to be brought down on others? I would think that it would only enrage you more to see what happened to your husband happen to others.
beersnob
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 3:12 a.m.
Lets see so do you think that the extra $240 I will pay a month in insurance would affect someone who makes 6 figures the way it will affect my family? That is ALOT of money for my family sad but true!
Mike
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 11:16 a.m.
It's usually relative; the more you make the more you spend. My newest car is a 1999 model, bought and paid for and well maintained. The federal government has to get their financial house in order too because we all cannot afford the new taxes they want to impose so they can maitain the staus quo. New reality out there and it's not going to change anytime soon.
tim
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 2:19 a.m.
The hospital should just charge less --- bringing insurance costs down. Funny how housing has collapsed but the medical industry has just plowed ahead not only ripping of the public but now trying to rip off its own employees. Time for universal health care.
bulldog78
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 2:45 p.m.
eagleman--Seems funny you do not post a single comment regarding your OWN thoughts; however, you reply to those who do share their voice...What's even sadder; who do you want caring for a loved one while hospitalized--An over-worked nurse who was mandated to stay extra hours or a nurse who has sufficient sleep to do his or her job? As stated before and let me make this CLEAR so you understand because it's CLEAR you do not--it is not about money or lack thereof. It is directly related to keeping this hospital a world-class institution who conveys the best employee's weather or not Nursing based!
tim
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 11:24 a.m.
eagleman- you're right --"If you want affordable care you'll have to make significant cuts at every level of the industry. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you." Universal health care would do just that, the fact still remains that we pay almost double what the rest of the industrialized world pays for health care.
eagleman
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 4:42 a.m.
Universal health care will not reduce the costs one bit. In fact, it may worsen things. We already have a shortage of doctors and nurses. What happens when you inject even more people into the system? More overtime. And how likely is it that a notoriously inefficient entity like the US government will reduce cost? Government is not the place for efficiency. Not when you have an endless supply of money to depend on. Nations with nationalized health care also sees longer wait periods and less access to innovative procedures. The costs of medicine can be found not just in the administrative, but in the pay of the workers. This is something the Democrats refuse to acknowledge, but it is true. Pay in addition to expense of supplies, equipment,medication, etc, drives up insurance costs. If you want affordable care you'll have to make significant cuts at every level of the industry. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you. Charge less? Then they will have to lay off nurses.Try again, Tim.
snoopdog
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 12:58 a.m.
No beef at all with what the nurses make salary wise. Appears their "cost out of pocket" for their Cadillac benefits should go up a tad as requested to be more compatible with those that pay their salaries. Those that pay their salaries are not the administrators, they are the patients the nurses take care of every day ! Good Day
beersnob
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 12:12 p.m.
I think they grouped anyone with nurse in their title into the same group. And that would include from floor nurses all the way to CRNAs..... that is where they are getting the 78K
RM
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 8:48 a.m.
I don't know where you get your info snoopdog but the average nurse does not make 78K. I, as a nurse practitioner, made 78K last year. I have a master's degree plus worked in nursing for 25 years (last 13 years at UM). I certainly did not make 78k as a staff nurse either. And this tad increase is not a 30% increase but at least 50% increase. UM wants nursing to pay 30% of their benefit costs NOT increase how much we pay by 30% (annarbor.com has their facts wrong and for some bizarre reason has not corrected it).
Edith
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 3:22 a.m.
Senior nurses may have made it to that kind of salary, but I take home less than 50K a year, just as many do who have families to support. I have no rhetoric in my heart when I say that I fully support any group of workers who unite to negotiate fair terms of labor. It's unnecessary to feel better about myself by making sure everyone is getting the same disrespect. Whichever industry or job you hail from, I DO hope that you are working under fair conditions and wouldn't hesitate to make your voice heard when you get the opportunity.
snoopdog
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 3:13 a.m.
"All of us working hard to scrape by should be sticking together! You can bet we nurses would be behind you if you were given an opportunity to fight for your right not to have to bear the brunt of big money spending and overly-bloated administration salaries." Stop it with the "baloney" rhetoric. The average nurse makes over 78K a year salary plus gold plated benefits, you are not scraping by as you indicate ? Good Day
Edith
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 2:22 a.m.
If "those that pay their salaries" refers to the patients as taxpayers often struggling financially themselves and suffering from rising health care premiums and wage cuts, then I would in fact expect that these very people would stand with the nurses against bully tactics by a large corporation like U of M. Most of the general public does not have a large union and therefore do not have the numbers to negotiate fair contracts and not given a voice the way the union gives us one. This is unfortunate in every way. I think everyone who is struggling out there can appreciate that many nurses are single mothers or sole breadwinners for their families, JUST AS MANY OF YOU ARE. If I wish that the rest of the middle class could stand up for themselves and strike a more fair deal with their employers, why don't you wish the same for us? All of us working hard to scrape by should be sticking together! You can bet we nurses would be behind you if you were given an opportunity to fight for your right not to have to bear the brunt of big money spending and overly-bloated administration salaries.
bulldog78
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 12:10 a.m.
This article reflects how I feel certainly... "media paints unclear pictures; lacking the true points and facts were facing today". There has come a time when the importance of human life and caring takes precedence over spending and cutting the profession who makes this hospital a top 20 in our nation for the past twenty years. Either the conditions improve or the governments/CEOs formulate how they are going to care for the growing populace. In my worst nightmares; I envision a populace out of control and a government full of heartless paper pushers and money pinchers who spend-spend-spend; then take-take-take from those (the working middle class) who keep the "U" one of the brightest and best around this nation. Right now it is daily neglect and abuse because there are too many patients and too few staff which leads to being over-worked. These contractual cuts go straight to the heart; a vast majority of these workers are directly affected by these "issues" and unfortunately the "lay person" does not have the slightest clue of what the institution is asking from us. We make the difference only to be left in excrement, and lack of stimulus. I stay in Nursing because I can not abandon deserving people--who deserve the very best. It is frustrating to see "commons" bash those who care for the community in which we serve. We're not asking for much; however, we are only asking for a FAIR contract. Before bashing the ones who serve the sick--I ask; are you truly informed of what's going on here or are you just blindly following others opinions or the medias skewed picture?
bulldog78
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 10:10 a.m.
For eagleman--Medical students, nursing students, physician assistants, physicians, and nurses — the entire medical team can agree that patient care comes first; primarily driven by nurses... A lot of focus and research goes into patient centered care but what you lack insight on is what this "argument" involves...and in my opinion, it seems you are not looking at the whole picture here -- that's ok and your right to say the least. Believe what you will, just hope your informed/educated on this matter and obviously you are not...this is not about increased wages, vacations or insurance increases as I've and many others stated in previous posts!
eagleman
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 4:50 a.m.
Boy, you lack perspective. If you truly think you are suffering than you are delusional. Nurses get paid quite well--and deservedly so. $50,000 plus a year(without overtime) coming out of college with a two year degree is pretty darn good. In addition you get good benefits, which to be fair every UM employee receives. Compare your life to that of a soldier. A private makes about $25,000 a year and faces life threatening danger. Or that of a pilot at a small airline. A first year pilot at Mesaba makes $25,000 flying a plane holding the lives of 50-60 people on board. No one is "bashing" nurses. Far from it. What they are doing, however, is wondering why people in professions that are just as important or require just as much intelligence, education, and dedication, are to take cuts, but not nurses. Instead of melodramatically moaning about people bashing nurses, perhps you should spent the time talking to people outside of the nursing profession. Maybe then you will develop some perspective.
bulldog78
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 12:43 a.m.
This fight is not about vacation time, increased insurance pay and/or increase in wages--its roots are much deeper than reported; hence become informed first regarding the fight before stepping into the ring!!! "Every advance in this half-century: Social Security, civil rights, Medicare, aid to education...one after another- came with the support and leadership of American Labor Union" -- Jimmy Carter
cm
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 11:56 p.m.
The UofM management is insisting that the nurses pay a far greater insurance premium because "all the others are doing it". Lets be honest. "All the others" didn't have a choice. They were mandated. Do you actually think management wants the nurses to remain relatively untouched in their insurance premiums when they forced the same action down the salaried people's throats? Do you have any idea what the salaried people might do? They might come back at management saying they were forced to take this increase, but the nurses don't have to. That might be enough to make the salaried people unionize, wouldn't it? This is a watershed item for management. They can't let a large group of union workers have lower insurance payments when they forced the non-union people to take it. U of M is flush with cash. It's not a cash issue for them. Wake up people! See what's in front of your face. Earlier posts said they have to pay hundreds of dollars per month for insurance costs, so why shouldn't the nurses? This ignorance is what is driving the middle class down. Since when did it become a race to see who can get the least? Why do others have to accept a rotten deal because someone else is forced to take it? Wake up people.
beersnob
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 3:07 a.m.
Any group of people can form a union, and maybe they should have. We are in a union and I feel the same way! WAKE UP AND STAND UP NURSES!
baxtero
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 12:58 a.m.
Exactly. This is not a race to the bottom!
baxtero
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 11:34 p.m.
I have been reading the comments throughout the day and have been both inspired and disappointed. As nurses, we come to work every day and night to take care of our patients...period. We must be (and want to be!) on the front lines at all times to care for patients and families. We are constantly challenged to assist patients in achieving their highest degree of health, in spite of often unbelievable circumstances. In this academic, intellectual city of Ann Arbor, there are many, many people who have traveled the world, so I know that my comment will not fall on deaf ears when I speak of health care in other parts of the world - it is much better! We need Single Payer health care in this country as well. As nurses and unionists, we believe that what we fight for (in this case, our patients) is really to uplift all people in the environment. This fight is not about vacations, benefits, or retirement. Those are important things to attract and retain the brightest and best nurses to care for the patients at the "world class" University of Michigan Health System. Do you want the best nurses "in the world" taking care of you and your family? I imagine so. I certainly do! One of my co-workers posted this over the weekend.... With all their faults, trade unions have done more for humanity than any other organization of men that ever existed. They have done more for decency, for honesty, for education, for the betterment of the race, for the developing of character in men, than any other association of men. - Clarence Darrow UMPNC nurses are standing strong for what we stand for - excellent patient care!
bulldog78
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 12:16 a.m.
amen!!! could't have been said any better, well put
RN
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 10:12 p.m.
Just shameful and disgusting reading the comments against the RNs at UofM.. Many of your need to get your facts straight before you throw us under the bus! We are not asking for anything other than leaving things the way they are! Forget a pay raise!! We are not valued by the administration and it is being blatantly evident in the fact that they wouldn't agree to the 3 month contract we asked for and stopped negotiations on Saturday (a day early) because it is a "take it or leave it" mentality! There is NO "negotiating" going on here..its their way or the highway for us! Im sorry that the rest of the unions in the hospital conceded and allowed you to have your benefits increased but why should we accept it just because you did? Its disgusting also that the top administrators received these pay increases, and not 2 weeks later cracked down on the budgets on the units! We lost multiple techs and assistants to those cuts, have fewer supplies on hand and must wait hours to provide care to ICU pts, and are running with 2-3 fewer nurses per shift causing a huge strain on pt care and more stress on us! But oh...its just human beings! MONEY MONEY MONEY and greed is what drives this!!! But pile on the horrible comments about how selfish we are! Its the american way anymore..be jealous of someone that has more than you (or just wants to keep what we have) and rally against them! Thank god we have broad shoulders and are standing up for each other!! STAY STRONG UofM NURSES!!!
RM
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 9:47 p.m.
@annarbor.com: I have it on good authority that you were given the information to correct the discrepancy in this article plus you promised to correct this discrepancy by 3PM, yet it remains as originally published. Why?
Edith
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 9:13 p.m.
In response to the many comments stating that nurses should take as many paycuts as other professions or job positions have: If every job in this economy was valued as "equal", from CEOs to doctors down to kitchen staff or housekeeping, this would be a valid argument. All team members are needed to efficiently provide a quality hospitalization experience for patients. That being said, are you making the argument that an attending physician, who currently makes 6 figures a year, should be paid equal to housekeeping? Are you making the argument that nurses should make as much as the CEO of the hospital? I am not arguing that pay cuts or rising health care premiums were a fair deal for faculty, or for any other staff member. But as nurses, their is a valid argument that we literally hold lives in our hands. Do you want to pay someone sitting at a desk as much as you want to pay me while I'm running your life support? You are willing to pay MDs much more than you are willing to pay me, and yet often I make life-saving decisions as frequently as they do. Other types of employees unfortunately were not unionized or their union did concede to the 70/30 health insurance plan. That doesn't mean that we have to, or should. We feel badly for any other staff member who has been forced to take pay cut after pay cut, but we have no control over that. We are standing up for ourselves because that is an option for us, right now. Also- I think if it were your mother, or child, in my ICU bed, and I was keeping them alive every minute of every hour, monitoring each system of their bodies, coordinating all aspects of their care, as WELL as keeping them as clean and comfortable and tending to the family's needs, you might begin to feel that nurses ARE underpaid, and overworked. You might agree with the fact that it is more than fair that we are not asking for ANY increases, only that we not take a cut across the board, when including health care premiums, PTO, over-time, and wag
beersnob
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 3:03 a.m.
As for the starbucks guy I would gladly take that crazy mixed up order in the morning if you will come hold this dying newborn whos parents had to leave the room because they just couldn't take it.
a2zoo
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 9:31 p.m.
Now that is very, very well said!!! I an really tired of hearing everyone whining about the greedy nurses. I had to laugh at the guy who posted that he worked at Starbucks and he would "like to see some nurse handle a special order coffee in the morning under pressure". I would like to see him handle a rapidly falling or rising heart rate or blood pressure, I would like to see him manage mulitple IV's while explaining them to family member after family member, I would like to see him change a burn victims dressings on a daily basis, I would like to see him take care of critically ill children and their families, I would like, I would like to see him hold the hands of a parent as they take their injured child off of life support, I would like to see him.....well you get the picture. Yeah, we deserve to have our benefits and wages and retirements to be cut...yeah, after all we are just useless greedy nurses.
bulldog01
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 8:36 p.m.
I am a member of the nursing community at UM. While I do believe we should pay more for health care, I don't think this should be the over riding issue. As some of you have mentioned here that we have great PTO benefits....we DO NOT have great access to vacation/sick time (PTO). We are not allowed to take all of the vacation time that we earn, they don't even budget for us to use it. You are only allowed to accure a set amount depending on how many hours you work and if you reach max and are not allowed to take it - you lose it. The University can cancel your vacation at the last minute if staffing is low. The University also does not put in unit budgets any money to cover staff who may be out on an extended sick leave so you just work short and put the patient's at risk. There is something wrong with this budget process. Also, building funds do not come out of the operating budget, these are seperate funds and mostly financed by fund raising and other means. But it does not do any good to have fancy, new, state of the art buildings, if the staff are working so hard that they end up sick, off work and again put the patient at risk. When I first starting in nursing you used to be assigned maybe two really sick patients, one moderate sick and a couple of patients that were doing well and ready to discharge soon. That has not been the case for many years. Patients are discharged sicker placing a tremendous burden on families. All the patients I now care for are ALL extremely sick (as many as 5-6 per shift) I suggest revenue sharing - if the hospital makes over a certain amount of money (say a margin of 2%) then share it equally with the staff. The higher the margin the higher the gain for all. This would encourage staff to save money by not wasting supplies, less call ins, and better patient care. Before you cast stones ...think about who you want caring for your loved one.
a2zoo
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 9:39 p.m.
They did that years ago and the benefits handed out each year to each individual were so large that they ended it.
opal
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 8:21 p.m.
With the last contract the Advance Practice Nurses' agreement, was not completed at the time of "ending negoations" the staff nurses were set with their new step increases. The contract passed by three votes...yes three! Therefore over 100 of us (NP's)had our wages frozen until our part of the contract was settled which was last year, and we then could get a "merit raise". So I went 4 1/2 years without a raise and finaly received a 3% raise, now factor that over 4 1/2 years and it does not cover cost of living. Insurance, dental and vision (which are extra and not cheap), parking, Union dues and taxes all went up. My 2 children are covered by my health care benefits and that is over $300 per month I pay,if that is doubled...600 per month....Our benefits are not free, we do match the retirment deductions each month. I do not get paid overtime but over appointment time and I do not report all of it due to the many hours I work. There is a clause in my contract that states I "stay until the work is done", when is it ever done? When Ann Sinnox stated her figure for health care, she calculated an average for the whole state, she failed to mention that the MNA raised our dues, she failed to mention we pay the largest share and pay the most per person in the state. When asked about this I was told that the smaller hospitals could not be expected to pay what we do, since we are the largest Union hospital in the state therfore we need to pay more to help others out. With that being said, I wonder what the Union management salary is in Lansing that we as Nurses pay with our dues? I am wondering if it matches any or our CEO's?It is all about money folks anyway you look at it. The hospital needs our expertise and the Union needs our money.
aatownie
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 7:45 p.m.
The plight of the nurses is the plight of the middle class-we are are told that costs are increasing and that we must 'do our share' and when it comes time for raises, focus is on the upper echelons ' who might leave to go somewhere else if we don't give them a competitive salary'. I have been an admin with UM (not the hospital) for over 10 years-if you factor in all the additional costs (health, dental, parking, etc), I have had a cut in pay EVERY YEAR! It is not about nurses, or patients or quality care-it is about the bottom line and nothing more.
sarah
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 6:28 p.m.
I am writing in response to the statements made by Tony Denton to the Ann Arbor News regarding current contract negotiations for registered nurses at University of Michigan Health System. I have been employed as a registered nurse at University Hospital since November of 2006. I specifically chose U of M as a place to work because of its association with the University of Michigan (an internationally known research institution) and its nationally recognized status as a hospital which provides superior patient care. The registered nurses at UMHS are the backbone for patient care throughout the hospital. We act as a liaison for the doctors who treat are patients, and are the first responders when a patient's status deteriorates and requires immediate and often life-saving attention. In order to retain the best nurses possible, we, as employees of the Health System, request the respect from our administration we deserve for the exceptional care we provide to our patients. If current contract negotiations continue to proceed "as is", the Health System administration requests for our new contract are not reflective of this statement. In the State of Michigan, the UMHS must position itself as an advocate for its employees to attract strong and talented staff, and retain extraordinary and hardworking nurses to maintain our current standards of care. If the Health System fails to do this, not only will the Health System suffer, but the community of Ann Arbor and the Hospital's reputation as a world class facility will suffer as well. In response to Mr. Denton's comments regarding current union contract negotiations for Health System nurses, I ask him to recognize the importance of the care we, as registered nurses, provide our patients. It is only when the administration chooses to recognize our crucial role by addressing our requests for the forthcoming contract that the statement of "valuing their nurses highly" will reflect true intentions by UMHS administration.
a2zoo
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 9:58 p.m.
Audrey....do you have any idea of what and emotional experience it is to be a nurse. So what if things get emotional.....being told you are not valued, by the same people who all the time tell you how wonderful you are in little e-mails, that you are not valued, that you are not worthy of the pay you are receiving, that you are greedy and should just give up benefits, without so much as a whimper tends to make a person emotional. Yeah, we get a little emotional. We are not asking for any increases, just leave it the way it is, and we are not going to accept anything else!!! And spare us the little e-mails!!!
sarah
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 7:49 p.m.
Thanks for your reply Lady Audrey- but this is just as much pure economics as it is "emotional". Sure, I'm passionate about my job and proud of what I do, but I deserve to be paid what I'm worth; what UMHS representation is attempting is not just about insurance premiums...there's other parameters involved. It's simply costs and efficiency versus the value we add...and we as nurses add much more value than what we are being paid, including our benefits.
Lady Audrey
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 7:32 p.m.
Again, an emotional appeal that has nothing to do with the negotiation. Are nurses really more "special" or "important" than any other employee of the University, including the faculty? Come on, you are being asked to pay what all other employees pay. I didn't feel that my job was less valued when our premiums went up.
momandrn
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 5:42 p.m.
UM has a unique staff of nurses based on their training and everyday experiences working with the acuity of patients they are assigned to work with that cannot be easily replaced. UM wants to advertise superior quality care and top ratings in different specialties, but when it comes to compensating nurses, the comps they use seem to be all other local community hospitals with much lesser acuity. UM has given out base salary information, but doesn't mention how they pays quite a bit less than other hospitals for shift and weekend pay. Based on hourly pay, would you really want to stay up all night, driving your cortisol levels out of balance, and greatly increasing risk of heart disease, obesity and depression for a whopping $10 a night? Nurses are the ones right at the bedside constantly assessing and reassessing the patient and trying to give the best care possible to give patients the best outcome possible. Everyone chooses their profession and there are always those that pay better and those that pay worse. However, nurses are a valuable, indispensable part of the UM care team. Do research on other large University hospitals that are unionized and have their contract online (UW is an easy one to find),and you will probably see across the board much better compensation including a real pension. Nurses deserve affordable health care for their families and cost of living raises.
RM
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 3:54 p.m.
It's unfortunate this article does such a poor job detailing the concessions UM wants from nursing. It's also concerning that no clarification has been made to this article nearly 6 hours since it was published. I don't know if that is a failure of MNA to clarify their comments with AA.com or whether AA.com has been lax in correcting the inaccuracy and omissions. UM wants nursing to pay 30% of their benefits (for regular full time staff, part time staff would pay a higher percentage). Many will think that this is reasonable considering our current economic climate. Others will argue that this concession is unreasonable when the leaders have received raises and the hospital chose to go into the red to build the new C&W hospital. Many nurses have worked to raise funds for the new hospital. Go to most units in Mott and see candy and soda for sale. Often the profits of this go towards the new hospital. Now many nurses can't help but wonder if the same concessions would be on the table if UM had not built the new hospital. Are we being targeted to sacrifice to make up for the financial shortfalls? The major flaw in this article is that it reduced complex negotiations to an inaccurate declaration about health insurance costs. Health care cost is one of many issues being negotiated with UM. Adequate staffing to provide safe patient care is a priority. The use of mandatory overtime and fair compensation for unexpected overtime are also of concern. Study after study documents that nurse-to-patient ratios directly influence patient outcomes. Studies also document that the more hours a nurse works in a shift the incidence of medical errors increase. So despite seeming oh so simple, if only the nurses were reasonable, there is much more to the negotiations than health care costs.
RN
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 9:24 p.m.
THANK YOU!!! I am another one of those "ungrateful" nurses that work for UofM.. Its disgusting reading the comments from you RN-haters..I sure hope you or your family never needs a good RN! I have worked for UofM for 14 years, and have been happy there from the start! WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN LEAVING IT THE WAY IT IS!! We have lost in every contract in the last 12 years...they take..take..take..now they want more! I did NOT receive a pay increase other than a nickle here and a nickle there on the last contract, and yet everything has increased! You say we are "whining"? Give me a frickin break! You dont believe anything over 16 hours should be paid overtime? How many of you haters work 16 hours a day? And before you get on your "I work 16 hours a day and feel lucky to have a job" bandwagon..how many of you have your mothers life or your childs, sisters, etc lives in your hands? They want to take away our ability to have other co-workers work for us by micromanaging our PTO time (yes its OT for them) but again how many of you are filling out your schedules for OCT right now? If something comes up with my childs' school I shouldn't have the right to get the day off? Just another way UofM is bullying us!
beersnob
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 4:41 p.m.
They do want to take,take,take and give nothing. They are simply playing on peoples fears. They are well aware that alot of RNs are now the sole providers and are trying to get the "be thankful you have a job" mantra going. So once agian all the people will tuck tail and vote this crap in.............. The U is nothing but a big bully
Oregon39_Michigan7
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 3:22 p.m.
Here's something interesting: According to umsalary.info, no general funds are used to pay for the salaries of the RNs. $0. Contrast that with, for example, the Law School, where nearly all employee's salaries are paid from the gender fund. My understanding is money from the general fund is taxpayer money.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 3:49 p.m.
I suppose that is because the Hospital has a steady income from patients that the law school doesn't. But its barely relevant in that we the people of the State of Michigan own the University including the hospital and for that matter the athletic department. So regardless of the source of the money whether its a football ticket sold or a baby delivered it still belongs to we the people collectively who own the institution.
Oregon39_Michigan7
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 3:28 p.m.
*general fund - no gender.
A2CommonCityFolk
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 2:12 p.m.
Please! Everyone else in the hospital is paying more for their health insurance. The nurses are being asked to do the same. They are being asked to take the same deal the rest of us have. Get over it. I dislike all the erroneous arguments and emotional appeal that is happening. Yes the Regents and admin might have made a bad choice in building the new hospital. Not really the issue to why the hospital is in the red. Try looking at the reimbursement rates this year compared to a couple years ago. Yes, maybe doctors and CEO etc are making more money than nurses, but like one nurse wrote in a comment to other person who was complaining that they too have a bachelor degree but don't make as much as a nurse. She told that person to go back and become a nurse. Well, go back and become a doctor or a CEO if you want the same pay! Stop complaining about their salary! The nurses are not being asked to pay more, but the same! The same! When the hospital came and told the rest of us that we would have to pay more for our medical insurance, I really did not see the nurses get worked up over that or even caring about it. Read the papers or news, everyone in the US is being asked to pay more for health insurance. Stop the ridiculous emotional appeal and deal with facts and reality.
Edith
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 2:11 a.m.
A2common- why do you think that nurses didn't care when the rest of the non-unionized hospital members were forced to pay more for healthcare benefits? ALL of us have family members and friends who are not nurses, who took those cuts because they had to. It bothers me immensely that those employees had no voice or rights to negotiate a more fair circumstance for themselves and their families. The truth is that the financial sufferings of the middle class, nurses and others alike, ARE an emotional issue because they effect our daily lives, our comfort, and our health. I know that if another unionized group in the hospital or elsewhere took a stand against a large corporation, I would look at the facts and most likely end up standing behind them 100%.
beersnob
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 4:44 p.m.
So did you get a raise this past year or two? Because they want us to lose alot of things and take a paycut!!!!!!!!! And as far as letting them have the right to change our retirmement at any time, well I would give it a month before they said NO MORE 2/1 Matching,
johnnya2
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 4:26 p.m.
If you dont like the nurses getting a better deal than you, then that is up to you to join a better union. Just because YOU had to get an increase, does not mean the nurses do. Your lack of ability to negotiate a better deal is on you, so why are you jealous of what the nurse can get? That isnt EMOTIONAL, that is FACT.
a2zoo
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 2:47 p.m.
You do realize that if the Nurses agree to the consessions being asked of them that you and the rest of the university will be asked, wait, forced to take more consessions. No more 10/5 matching retirements (more like a 3/5 match, maybe), more health insurance costs, less or no pay increases. You might then soon become part of the emotional appeal.
who cares
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 2:32 p.m.
well said.
beersnob
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 2:08 p.m.
We do have good benefits BUT they are asking to double my payments every month. AND they are not willing to give me a raise to cover said increase???????? So I will be paying $480 a month and not be getting a raise? How is this fair? I worked it out and I would need to make an extra $3.09 per hour just to cover the increased insurance payment. And you can go to umsalary.info and look up anyones salary at the U. Amazing that all the higher ups got raises this year.......
beersnob
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 3:17 a.m.
Lady A I would love to know how much you make. For me an extra $240 a month will put a dent in my lifestyle. I only make $59000 a year and it will hurt. Sad but true
Lady Audrey
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 7:25 p.m.
I didn't get a raise when my premiums went up. The cost of health care is skyrocketing and yet you think your premiums don't go up? People need to get real!
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 5:59 p.m.
beersnob, please understand I am not rooting against you folks. Nor do I think the uppity ups should be getting raises when the "lower cast" folks are taking cuts.
beersnob
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 4:38 p.m.
I know life isn't fair BUT why are we the ones getting the short end of the stick? We arent going to get raises but they are going to increase our costs? ALL upper management got raises I should be given one to don't you think? If we arent all that important lets see them run the show without us. They wont even speak to our bargaining table until we say OK we will pay 30%. So how are we going to get anywhere? I would love to see a strike you really can't find 4,000 RNs at the drop ofa dime and lets be honest MI isnt on the top of everones places to see right now
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 3:19 p.m.
beersnob@ "So I will be paying $480 a month and not be getting a raise? How is this fair? " Its not "fair" its just life. Life isn't "fair". We pay $892 a month. Its not about "fair" its about reality.
OnTheRight
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 2:52 p.m.
I suppose if you were given a pay increase to pay for the premium hike, the health system would be paying the same premium amount, so it sort of would defeat the purpose of having the employee cover a portion of the cost.
beersnob
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 2:50 p.m.
<a href="http://umsalary.info/peoplesearch.php?LName=Pescovitz&FName=Ora%20H&Year=0&Campus=1#current" rel='nofollow'>http://umsalary.info/peoplesearch.php?LName=Pescovitz&FName=Ora%20H&Year=0&Campus=1#current</a>
beersnob
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 2:47 p.m.
Well I am aware they wont give me a raise that will compensate the raise in my payment. And this is the problem I have with the situation. You have no idea how much money was donated to the NEW Mott. The Mott family gave a huge sum just to have their name on the building. Also all the other donations. And I and anyone else can freely take a look at the salary increases @ <a href="http://umsalary.info/" rel='nofollow'>http://umsalary.info/</a> So why should I not even make enough money to keep up with inflation? When the U is clearly making money?????????
who cares
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 2:31 p.m.
don't forget the lucrative retirement they give you. Also, though some upper level people got raises last yr, for the last 2 yrs, those reps/admin/faculty likely didn't get raises when the nurses did. Also, at least for many faculty, a raise is a small lump sum bonus, not an adjustment to base salary....so that 3% is always the same yr after yr...whereas your's compounds. It's all a matter of how you look at it. All have contributed more and had to make sacrafices. The Hospital is trying to cut costs across the board to help pay for those buildings (which have resulting in negative margin mentioned above). It doesn't make sense to ask you to pay more for health benefits, and then give you a raise to cover that.
OnTheRight
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 1:53 p.m.
It isn't hard to empathize with the nursing staff's frustration at the prospect of an increase in the deduction from their paychecks, however.... UMHS health benefits are extremely generous. Employees have health, vision & dental plans, very low drug co-pays, a choice of health plans that cover just about every test, procedure, physician and hospital within 50 miles of A2. In other words, they are getting a lot of bang for each buck they have to contribute toward the premium. They don't have it so bad. Lots of employees would love to be in a job where they have the benefits those nurses have, even if it means doing some financial planning when the prices go up. Nurses are a lot like police and firefighters....their jobs can be pretty tough and thankless sometimes and they usually aren't compensated commensurately with the value of the services they provide to our community. That being said, on the issue of contributing to their benefit premiums, they are getting a lot of return on those premium dollars so they should probably agree to pay a higher share instead of risking a reduction in their benefit packages.
Oregon39_Michigan7
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 2:11 p.m.
The new State law says public employees must pay 20% of health insurance premiums. So why is the Hospital asking the Nurses to pay 30%? That is a slap in the face.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 1:31 p.m.
what frustrates me when I read these things is sooner or later I read one group insist ABC is the real truth and another group insist XYZ is the real truth. All I can conclude at that point is somebody isn't telling the truth.
Major
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 1:27 p.m.
A different perspective....shouldn't nurses, doctors, health care professionals all get FREE health care? At the hospital level, the costs are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay cheaper than whats billed to an insurance company. I pay my own staggering premium (to the thieving health insurance industry, crooks by any measure of the meaning). I get a bill from the hospital for a CT scan, thinking I had no insurance...for $280, "my cost", then, after setting them straight, I get a "this is not a bill" statement from the hospital showing a charge to the ins co for the exact CT scan for $2281!!!! Lost my prescription coverage on the last re-new of ins. Went to pharmacy and was billed $160 for a month's prescription, when I got up off the floor from that reality, I said no way I can pay this every month. The pharmacist said "oh you have no insurance?" then said "that'll be $15"!!! My point here is....things don't really cost that much at the hospital level, seems like they could internally handle this issue, not to mention but I will, I'd rather have a happy healthy health care provider diagnosing, scanning, fixing and stitching me up!!!! This is so much the perfect storm, you can only get so much blood from a stone, only a matter of time till this health care bomb goes boom!!! tick tick tick......
Matt Cooper
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 2:14 a.m.
Actually CL, three of my good friends are car salespeople, and yes, they very often (if not every day) drive cars owned by the dealerships they work for.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 8:56 p.m.
a2zoo, do you know car salesmen getting free cars? Otherwise your changing the parameters of what I said. Sure the big shooters in the ren cen or the glass house do but thats not the analogy and you know it. At least you should.
a2zoo
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 5:53 p.m.
Uhhh, many, many people working for the auto industry get free or very low cost cars. Usually new ones every six months. They know nothing about maintenance repairs or car payments, or having to purchase a new set of tires.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 1:34 p.m.
should car salesmen get free cars?
Oregon39_Michigan7
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 1:17 p.m.
RE: The 30% number: The Hospital isn't asking for a 30% increase, they are asking for the RNs to pay 30% of the premiums. This would result in an approx. $350 per year increase to an employee who covers another adult and their children. Would you be upset if your employer was asking for $350 (after-taxes) out of your pocket? Remember that UMHS ran a profit for 20 years before the last two years. In the last two years UMHS is running a $23.5 million defict. This is a failure of leadership on the part of the CEO and COO - they should be held responsible for out of control spending and not balancing their budget. Their solution is to take money out of the working families, while giving the CEO and COO a pay increase? The CEO of UMHS is listed as the highest paid employee in the entire University. She received a 3.0% pay increase in 2011, bring her base pay to $721,000. That is over $150,000 more than the President of UM makes. The Michigan Nurses aren't asking for a pay increase, yet Pescovitz (the CEO of UMHS) felt she earned a 3.0% by driving a hospital that was making a profit to running a $23.5 million deficit. See: <a href="http://benefits.umich.edu/plans/medical/rates/2011/estimator.php?q1=no&q2=no&BenProg=MPA-MNA-MNP&submit=Submit+Answer%28s%29" rel='nofollow'>http://benefits.umich.edu/plans/medical/rates/2011/estimator.php?q1=no&q2=no&BenProg=MPA-MNA-MNP&submit=Submit+Answer%28s%29</a> <a href="http://www.michigandaily.com/content/u-salary-report-shows-modest-salary-increases" rel='nofollow'>http://www.michigandaily.com/content/u-salary-report-shows-modest-salary-increases</a> <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/news/new-cs-mott-records-system-will-strain-university-of-michigan-health-system-budget-in-2012-but-long-/">http://www.annarbor.com/news/new-cs-mott-records-system-will-strain-university-of-michigan-health-system-budget-in-2012-but-long-/</a> I'm not an employee of the hospital, but I am standing with the UM Nurses.
Matt Cooper
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 2:12 a.m.
And so because your benefits are 1. costly, and 2. suck...the nurses should be just as costly and suck just as bad? Instead of crying about what nurses bennies are, why not fight for your own better bennies package?
snoopdog
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 12:52 a.m.
"Would you be upset if your employer was asking for $350 (after-taxes) out of your pocket? " If I was only paying what a U-M nurse pays per month I would not complain for even a nano-second. I pay 4 times per month what they pay currently and my benefits stink compared to theirs. Do note that I have an advanced degree and have worked for the same employer for 13 years. Good Day
Oregon39_Michigan7
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 1:28 p.m.
I'm sorry here's a link supporting my argument about UMHS running a profit for 15 (not 20 like I said above) years until 2010. <a href="http://ur.umich.edu/1011/Jun20_11/2433-umhhc-report-financially" rel='nofollow'>http://ur.umich.edu/1011/Jun20_11/2433-umhhc-report-financially</a>
swimmom
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 1:02 p.m.
@Tom Todd, I know for a fact that upper management, as well as all non-union and some union members, have already started paying the higher health insurance costs. They started paying those higher premiums effective 1/1/10.
proudnurse
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 4:12 a.m.
Good thing some of management got 10-15+% raises last year than!! I mean, how could they afford their health ins premiums when they weren't making that extra $15,000 per year!
beersnob
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 4:32 p.m.
Well when you make 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 times more than I do isn't there a bit of a difference in paying 30%? 30% is 30% and if you make 200-750,000 a year as compared to my $59,000 then who is getting hit harder?
Steve Pepple
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 12:54 p.m.
A comment containing a personal attack against another commenter has been removed.
Laura Roaden
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 12:51 p.m.
The facts in this article are incorrect. The University does not want a 30% increase, it wants nurses to pay an overall 30% of their health care premiums - which for a person covering themselves, a spouse, and kids will DOUBLE their monthly premium. The major sticking point is that in essence they are offering the nurses a virtual pay-cut when financially the U is doing quite well. Also regarding the comment about overtime: currently if you work a 12 hour shift and are required to stay 16 (remember that we can be MANDATED to stay to provide safe nurse to patient rations) you get overtime pay - their proposal is that we will not get that compensation. The worry is that the U will not hesitate to mandate nurses to stay past their shifts -- and 16 hours is too long.
Oregon39_Michigan7
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 2:11 p.m.
+1
beersnob
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 2:09 p.m.
What they want is a 50% increase
treetowncartel
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 12:18 p.m.
Actually, under a new satute passed earlier this year, if they don't get a contract they will be responsible for any increases that might occur while they operate under the terms of expired CBA, and it won't be subject to a ULP charge.
Tom Todd
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 11:50 a.m.
you can bet upper management pays nothing. Stay Strong Nurses this industry is Flush with Cash and really not subject to any type of economic downturn, so lets be happy for them and not jealous of what they have earned and worked for, just because you may not have equal or better does not mean ever middle class job classification has to suffer for the political correctness of it.
proudnurse
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 4:01 a.m.
The U is not struggling to stay afloat...they ended the fiscal year with $2.1 billion. 14 (I think) years in the black!
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 12:34 p.m.
"you can bet upper management pays nothing" I don't know that to be true. And the wording of your statement (you can bet...) suggests you don't either. Do you know that to be true? "this industry is Flush with Cash..." again I'm not sure thats true either. If by industry you mean hospitals I think many of them struggle to stay afloat.
who cares
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 11:49 a.m.
Who cares how much the new hospital cost. It's creating over 500 new jobs and will give the nurses better facilities in which to treat patients (shouldn't that be the primary concern here). The Univeristy has to spend money to improve and expand and this doesn't mean that everyone else gets something in return. If this negotiation were about staffing issues and nurse/patient ratio concerns, then fine...but constantly whining and asking for more, more, more is getting old. Every negotiation is the same...the deadline comes and goes and there's crying about how underpaid, etc, they are. Everyone else in the University has paid more for their health insurance in recent months/yrs. Why should nurses be any different. They have fantastic benefits, time off, and sorry...but many know how to work the system. Some nurses are great...other's not so much (but the union protects them). They also get raises every year (faculty and others don't). At some point it's hard to sympathize.
beersnob
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 4:23 p.m.
we aren't asking for naything new, just to keep the benefits that we have. And a COLA
johnnya2
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 4:17 p.m.
You are confusing the issue with facts not in evidence. The nurses are NOT looking for more more more, The U is offering LESS, LESS, LESS. The staffing ratio has already been cut in many past negotiations AND the beautiful new hospital does not treat patients. The actual PEOPLE do. I will take the best doctor in the world in an old facility over a lowly paid hack in a state of the art facility.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 11:32 a.m.
"The monthly health plan contribution paid by the average full-time MNA member is $127.47, union officials said.' My wife works in the health care industry in the private sector. The company she works for come under the umbrella of a larger company publicly traded on the NYSE. Our monthly contribution for a family plan is $884. That is $10,608 a year. The offices are structured so the employees average 36 hours a week and its extremely rare to ever be offered overtime. So I have a hard time getting overly sympathetic about the proposed 30% increase.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 1:33 a.m.
I accused you of nothing. I simply boiled down your logic to its simplest terms. No one should have anything better than you. Good Night and Good Luck
Craig Lounsbury
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 12:58 a.m.
making accusations without foundation is uncalled for and thats what you did to me. Its offensive I will repeat one more time just because I am somewhat ambivalent toward their plight doesn't mean I begrudge what they have. It just means one mans plight is another mans aspiration.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 11:33 p.m.
What makes you think I or anyone else wasn't unhappy that you lost your job? People losing jobs, losing pay, losing benefits is never good for anyone--except for those who take bizarre pleasure in such stuff. And many of them do seem to post on this website, cheering things on as we race to the bottom. Good Night and Good Luck
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 10:45 p.m.
"So I have a hard time getting overly sympathetic about the proposed 30% increase." "Yes, because no one should have anything that is any better than you have.' There is no correlation between the two at all. In fact trying to draw a correlation is stupidity. If the nurses win their negotiation good for them. If they lose their negotiation I will be as disappointed for them as you were for me when I lost my job. Get it?
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 9:46 p.m.
"So I have a hard time getting overly sympathetic about the proposed 30% increase." Yes, because no one should have anything that is any better than you have. I'm certain the hamburger flipper at McDonald's says the same thing all the time. Good Night and Good Luck
johnnya2
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 4:14 p.m.
I don't think you can compare an average plan to what you specifically get. If you have wife and kids on the plan versus a single nurse OR, maybe a nurse who opts out completely because they are covered on their spouses plan. There are also multiple plans available. Many younger people may choose the cheapest plan available and higher deductible, while others may not have the desire to take that kind of risk. The contract negotiation is not to say every nurse will be on the same plan. It is to determine what % of the overall cost is covered by the employer versus by the employee. If you increase that %, you have in essence offered a pay cut. I would ask what Mary Sue and the head of UM medical center took for their pay raises this year and what they have to pay in contributions.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 2:11 p.m.
Thanks A2RN, that's an explanation that makes some sense.
beersnob
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 2:10 p.m.
I pay $240 for just my medical per month. And that is with one of the lowest insurances offered U of M premier care
A2RN
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 2 p.m.
I think the number quoted is an average across the board. Many nurses, especially those who are paying for insurance for only themselves, opt for a very low-cost/month plan.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 12:29 p.m.
tat, so if you pay $406 every two weeks your paying as much as we are. If that true you do have my sympathy. But the $127.47 a month quote is attributed to a union official. Did A2.com just get it wrong?
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 12:24 p.m.
Ignatz@ I'm not sure its fair to characterize the company as "ripping us off" Although we would need to agree on a working definition of "ripping off" to debate it. The point is We don't have to take it, we could shop for our own. But I have done that and it would cost us more. We are on a family plan to keep our 25 year old daughters insured. One is an MSU grad struggling to find a job, one is till in school (nursing school coincidently) Next year our rate will go down because they won't be eligible anymore.
that's a tuffy
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 12:24 p.m.
CL Every other Thursday.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 12:18 p.m.
tat, so the Union officials quoted were misquoted in the story? when you say "The quotes themselves are an unfair labor practice." I am confused as they are quotes from union representatives. when you say "we pay $406 a pay check thats not enough information for me. i need to know how often you get paid to know what the $406 represents.
dextermom
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 12:09 p.m.
Tuffy - is the issue Priority Health vs Premier Care? Or do all the insurances run about the same? Dental and Vision separate from health insurance?
Ignatz
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 11:52 a.m.
Craig, I'm sorry that your wife's company is ripping off you and your family.
that's a tuffy
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 11:49 a.m.
CL, The story is just wrong we play $406.00 a pay check for Priority Health, Vision, and Dental. It will be a 50% increase. From 20% of the total cost per month to 30% of the total. The quotes themselves are an unfair labor practice. This is not going to be pretty. The new facility is fabulous, I think we got our 3/4 billion dollars worth. We actually donated money to build it. Kind of ironic.
Alan Goldsmith
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 10:56 a.m.
Paula, is it true, the new U of Michigan Hospital slated for opening in a few months, is the SECOND most expensive building in the State of Michigan's history, behind the Detroit Metro Airport? Sounds like the Nurses should get to own a share of the new building if their benefit cuts are in reality helping to finance the building.