SEAIMPASSE SSPOT 12/08/03 DARMAN
LEAD: No contract negotiations have been held since summer between New Hampshire officials and the union representing state employees.
And both sides remain far apart on several issues, especially who will be responsible for rising insurance costs.
New Hampshire Public Radio’s David Darman has more.
----------------------------------
SEAIMPASSE 3:07 SOQ
New Hampshire officials have said for months that the state can’t keep paying the full cost of health insurance for employees and their families.
John Ratoff chairs the state negotiating team, and is also the commissioner of New Hampshire Employment Security.
He says insurance rates have risen nearly 140 percent in the last decade, and are projected to rise 30 percent more next year.
Ratoff says the state needs to share these costs with employees.
16 101 we want to insure the person who is most valuable to the state, that is, the worker. We were willing to pay 100% for the worker, 75% on the spouse, and 50% on the children. …
Members of the State Employees Association, or SEIU Local 1984, rejected that proposal in August.
Union chief Paul Stokes says the union won’t budge from that position, because many of its 6,000 members simply can’t afford what the state has in mind.
20 228 the whole argument has been and we’ve been involved in this for a long time has been to help the state reduce the cost of healthcare. And by charging an employee that makes 18,000 dollars a year 2,000 dollars out of pocket expenses doesn’t reduce the cost of healthcare, it puts those people in the poor house. 20 250
The two sides also remain far apart on wages.
The state offered employees a one percent raise for this fiscal year, and 1 and one and a half percent for the next.
But the union is looking for raises of 2 and a half percent each year.
The executive council supported the larger raises in July.
But Governor Benson overruled the council.
The Governor also froze hiring during the summer.
Union president Paul Stokes says the hiring freeze has gone on too long.
He says staffing levels of nurses and prison guards are beginning to suffer.
21 153 the people that are left behind to do the job, their workload increases to the point that they can’t the job done, sooner or later. It just makes common sense. If you have 10 people doing a job, and doing it well, and then you cut down to 9 to 8 to 7, sooner or later the people left can’t do the job correctly. …21 217
State employees have been working without a new contract since June 30th, when their old agreement expired.
But the terms of the old contract remain in force until a new one takes its place.
That means state workers and their families are still getting health insurance costs paid in full.
Kenneth Egger is vice president of the American Arbitration Association, which help parties resolve disputes.
Egger says there’s little reason to believe the impasse will be resolved soon.
25 23 in this case, it seems to be very difficult that you’re going to have much budging on either side. It looks like both sides are entrenched in their positions. And this one might be somewhat problematic and might end up in the courts….25 39
The contract negotiations haven’t reached a courtroom yet.
In fact, both sides say they’re ready to resume discussions at any time.
But they also say that there’s no reason to meet, unless there’s something new to discuss.
So far, neither side seems to be in the mood to be the first to give ground.
