Defined Benefit Package

Our health insurance premiums will go up come Jan 1, 2002. Our Board of Trustees and General Manager plan to increase the employees contributions from $65.00/month for family, $45.00/month for employee with children and $25.00/month for employee only to an undetermined amount at this time.

Some of these employees were hired in the 60's, 70's and 80's with a defined benefit package. They have watched their health package change in 1993, 2000,2001 and now again 2002. We offered a sick accrual program at 1.85 hrs. per week (along with other benefits)for this same purpose. Now they want to take away an employees sick time accrual if they have over 480 hours, effective Jan. 1. Some of these employees belong to the State's retirement system and they will be losing creditable service toward their retirement as well as their sick time accrual that they have accumulated in case of a serious need. They want to give the employees (at employer cost) short term disability with 1st day for accident and 8th day for illness for taking away their sick time over 480 without being able to accumulate over that.

No one seems to care that we promoted our benefit package and used it as a tool to encourage good, hardworking people to join our team.

Wouldn't it make more sense to promote a new benefit package for new hires and leave the 27 employees we have now alone? Am I off base here? Am I missing something? From past experience, we are going to cause more dissention and unhappiness among our present employees. Where is our appreciation to them? We expect them to give us their loyalty and keep their word. But, our words to them upon hire show no meaning, no truth and certainly no appreciation for their hard work and dedication.
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