Vermont-NEA News

School Boards Walk Away from Statewide School Employee Health Insurance Talks

School Boards Walk Away from Statewide School Employee Health Insurance Talks

After only two meetings, VSBA team refused to meet for tomorrow’s scheduled session

MONTPELIER – With less than three months left to reach an agreement on health insurance affecting more than 42,000 school employees and their families, the Vermont School Boards Association pulled out of talks scheduled for tomorrow.

The Commission on Public School Employee Health Benefits is under an August 1 deadline to reach an agreement on health insurance coverage and has only met twice so far. The VSBA team continues to demand that members of the of the educators’ team be barred from talks, and said today that they will refuse to bargain until the Vermont Labor Relations Board issues a ruling on the matter.

“First, the VSBA team wants to dictate to us who can be on our team,” said Will Adams, a sixth-grade teacher at Hardwick Elementary School who serves as the school employees’ spokesperson. “And now they want to pick up their toys and go home. This is not a game, and it’s disheartening that they would hold talks hostage until they get their way.”

The Commission on Public School Employee Health Benefits is made up of five voting representatives of local school boards, four members of Vermont-NEA, and one member from the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. Nothing in the law creating the commission – nor in relevant state labor relations law – bars the teams from designating additional non-voting members from serving as alternates.  Additionally, the law permits both parties to have advisors present for bargaining sessions.

Last month, the VSBA asked the Vermont Labor Relations Board to bar the school employee team’s alternates from talks. The labor board responded by asking whether they even have jurisdiction in the matter. The school employees’ team asserted that the law creating the commission made it clear that the labor board does not have jurisdiction to resolve disputes between the parties.

In a brief email, the lawyer for the VSBA team said that they will not meet “while a decision from VLRB is pending.” Such a stance puts serious doubt on whether talks can resume before an impasse is declared.

An impasse in talks will be called on Aug. 1 if the commission can’t reach an agreement on a health insurance pact before then.  Because of the complexity of creating a statewide plan, the educators’ team has met for the last eight months, attempting to engage the VSBA’s team on information gathering, bargaining ground rules and other preliminary steps necessary for a smooth bargaining process.

“Instead of debating the merits of our two proposals, the VSBA would rather waste precious time with their power play,” Adams said. “We aren’t dictating who they can have on their team, we’re focused on achieving a settlement that maintains affordable and equitable health care for all employees and their dependents who are fortunate to have it. Their decision to walk away from the table makes us question their intent to bargain in good faith in the first place."

The VSBA proposal would saddle all school employees with 30 percent premium contributions; balloon all school employees’ out-of-pocket costs more every year; make it harder for the lowest-paid school employees to obtain health insurance; and shift most of the risk of future premium increases to school employees.

The educators’ proposal would guarantee insurance coverage for all school employees who are contracted the requisite number of hours required currently to be eligible for insurance coverage; would keep intact current premium cost-sharing arrangements in districts to allow for an orderly transition to a statewide standard; provide health reimbursement arrangements for out-of-pocket costs with employers paying more for lower-paid employees; and establish a single third-party administrator.

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Darren Allen May 09 2019
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