UE Local 222, Sub-local 37, ratified a new three-year contract with the Norwich Housing Authority over the summer. Wages will increase by 2.5 percent, 3 percent and 3 percent.
The most difficult issue was health insurance. Workers’ contributions to the PPO will increase by 1 percent each year, making their percentage contributions for the three years of the contract 13 percent, 14 percent and 15 percent. The union was able to stop the authority in its attempt to eliminate the HMO; this remained a dispute up until the end of negotiations. However, HMO participants will have to pay the 1 percent annual increase in contributions plus the difference between the annual cost of the PPO and HMO. A few workers are enrolled in the HMO and were willing to pay more to retain that option.
The current clothing and shoe allowance of $300 a year will increase to $400 in 2010 and $450 in 2011.
A new provision will allow either party to request an informal meeting to examine the impact of a public health insurance program, in the event a public option is established by either the state or federal government. If that occurs, either party could request negotiations over the public healthcare option before the contract expires. If no mid-term agreement is reached, the issue would be dealt with when the contract is up for renegotiation.
A big issue for members was to make some adjustments in the beeper scheduling system for “on-call duty in which the employee is “on call” for extra duty for a full week at a time. The union was able to negotiate some changes that members will make the program more fair and less of a burden for employees.
Sub-local 37’s bargaining committee consisted of President Kevin Beeney, Shawn Gould, and Steve Chiangi, alternate. They were assisted by Field Organizer Ashaki Binta.