At the Oct. 12, Metro Council meeting in Baton Rouge, SEIU Local 21 LA spoke out against the 2012 proposed 5 % health insurance hike for Baton Rouge public service workers. These workers have faced soaring premium costs and deductible increases for four years straight with disregard for the financial effect on a group of employees who have gone as many as five years without raises or adjustments for inflation.
Instead of the 5% increase Mayor Kip Holden initially proposed, due to pressure from the workers, he changed his proposal to a 3% increase.
THAT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH. WE WANT HIM TO FIND THE OTHER 3%!
Health insurance premiums have increased nearly 30% over the last four years:
- 9% in 2009
- 8% in 2010
- 7.5% in 2011
- 3% in 2012, if the proposed plan is passed by the Metro Council.
Even though most workers receive yearly merit pay increases of 3%, their pay is being sucked up by constant healthcare increases coupled with a soaring cost of living.
For example, a public service employee who makes $10 per hour receives an extra 30-cent per hour once the merit increase kicks in. This averages to $24 dollars per pay period and $48 dollars a month. Once that same worker factors in the 2012 health insurance hike to cover himself and his family of $25 a month, he is left with only 23 bucks and a few pennies of his merit increase each month. These figures don’t even account for next year’s cost of living climb.
Many workers have to hold second jobs to make ends meet. Some haven’t had pay raises in five years. Low pay combined with the mounting healthcare insurance costs threaten the overall city workforce. In 2012, the same workers who work diligently to make sure Baton Rouge is a great place to live and who work to improve public services will be hit with higher medical insurance with no promise of cost of living adjustments or raises– again.
“It has gotten so bad that I simply can’t afford to do my regular checkups. Luckily, my doctor wrote out a six-month prescription for my diabetes and high blood pressure. But now the pharmacy attaches a note to my medicine bottles stating that I need to make my doctor’s appointment soon. Please help me keep this cost down,” said Michael, a DPW employee.
Please attend the next Metro Council meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. where the Metro Council will vote on a 3% health care increase.
