Health Benefits Meeting to be Held
on
Thursday, November 4
All are invited, with a 2 p.m. start at 1501 Broadway, Suite 708
The Guild
and representatives from Time Inc. will be having discussions this week on the
catastrophic health-benefits proposals made by the company. On Thursday,
November 4 at 2 p.m., the two sides will meet to continue a process started in
September, when the proposals were first presented to the Guild.
The Guild invites al of its covered employees, members and non-members alike, to the meeting, which will take place at the New York Guild Local headquarters, 1501 Broadway (between 43rd and 44th streets), Suite 708.
Start
of Open Enrollment period doesn't affect the consultation
Open enrollment starts today, November 1 (and goes until November 19), and both the Guild and Time Inc. want to assure employees that they can sign up without jeopardizing their health-benefits choices.
In other words, if the Guild and Time Inc. agree to changes from the current proposal, those changes will apply to all employees regardless of when they sign up to make their benefits decisions. For instance, in Open Enrollment, no particular rate of premium is specified -- your rate depends on many factors, including your pay, your choice of health-care provider, and your level of coverage: Employee, Employee + 1, or Employee + 2 or more.
The company has proposed doubling premiums for virtually all employees. If the Guild can talk the company down from that disastrous action, all Guild-covered employees will benefit, whether they have signed up before or after the changes are agreed upon. The same applies to the drug co-pays, which will increase as much as 433% (from $7.50 to $40) for many drugs under Time Inc.'s proposal.
In a letter to the Guild, HR stated, "The open enrollment materials being prepared to not specify the maximum contributions (it just says 'certain maximums apply') so there are no changes to the posted plan that would be required as a result of Guild/management discussions on that topic."
Come one, come all!
The Guild invites all of its covered employees to come on November 4 to observe these talks. Although we do not have the right to negotiate benefits, only to "consult," we hope that our concerns will be addressed and that changes will be made in the course of these consultations.
Your presence on Thursday, November 4, can help demonstrate to Time Inc.'s representatives the concern that all of the company's employees undoubtedly feel about these huge increases.
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11/01/04