House Votes for 80/20 Health Insurance for Current Trial Court Employees
May 1, 2009
House members voted late on April 30 to make current state and Trial Court employees pay 20 percent of their health insurance premiums. That change represents an increase for about two-thirds of all employees of the Commonwealth, whose length of service now entitles them to pay 15 percent (other employees, who have not worked for the Trial Court as long, now pay 20). This change, however, is better than the 70/30 split originally proposed in the House budget. The vote in favor of the 80/20 compromise was 136-21.
The change to 80/20 affects only current employees. As of July 1, 2009, the Trial Court’s new hires will pay 25 percent.
NAGE Legislative Director Ray McGrath said that the compromise happened only after a week of continuous negotiations between the union and House leaders. Some House members wanted to hold a hard line for 70/30. Some supported increases, but with sunset provisions. Others were open to a graduated increase: 80/20 for employees who now pay 85/15, 75/25 for members who pay 80/20, and 70/30 for anyone hired as of July 1. NAGE found this unacceptable and held strong on 85/15, but consensus among other employee unions drew us to accept this compromise.
McGrath said that NAGE members should remember that this portion of the budget debate is not the last word—the budget process moves to the Senate next. The Senate is projecting state revenues far worse than the House is, as much as $1 billion under the House estimate. Speaker Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop) committed through a spokesperson this week that when the House and Senate budgets go to conference committee to be reconciled, the House conferees will fight to retain the 80/20 split if the House revenue projections continue to differ from the Senate projections.