The USW continues to monitor the health care situation at GP and met with management in August to review renewal rates for 2009. Technicians from the USW Pension & Insurance Dept. were in attendance and will follow up with GP as we move forward. The network issues were also discussed with the following issues reported on:
Regarding the networks, the group reviewed some UHC recruitment issues, including: Albany GA, -- 2 hospitals that are not in UHC network will be treated as in-network; Mt. Olive, IL -- Litchfield family practice, now in-network; Plattsburgh, NY – one hospital at issue now fully in network; Bradford, PA – primary hospital there now in network; Fort Dodge, IA – Trimark primary physicians – negotiations ongoing with UHC to bring them into network; Big Island, VA – lack of specialists and pediatricians in network, some are joining using network gap exception if there are no similar providers within 30 miles.
The company committed to work with UHC for proactive notification of network coverage issues before yearly renewal so that work can be done at the local level if issues arise.
Preventive care was also discussed and how use of the plan benefits in this area might be maximized along with ways to identify health issues and address them before they arise. Also, many doctors are charging some preventive care as surgery rather than preventive care so the 100% coverage for preventive care is not being applied. Members should work with their providers to make sure they bill such procedures as preventive care.
The USW has asked for regular meetings on the health care issues and the company has expressed interest in that as well. Please advise your staff representative of any issues as they arise with the health care and they can be in touch with Leeann Anderson, who is assigned to the GP Conference in this regard.
No Labor Agreement Yet for Wheatfield GP Workers
USW-represented workers at Georgia Pacific’s Wheatfield, Indiana wallboard plant continue to get the runaround from management as they struggle for their first union contract.
A large majority of the men and women at the Wheatfield plant voted in the Spring of 2007 to join fellow GP workers as members of the United Steelworkers. They particularly wanted to eliminate favoritism in the workplace and have the added security of a collective bargaining agreement, as do thousands of other USW members at GP.
Workers there have had more than 14 months of negotiations with the GP management, and still no deal. Instead, the USW members rallying for Wheatfield workerscompany wants wage cuts, fewer vacation days for workers, cuts in funeral leave and other give-backs.
Steelworkers District 7 members are steadily picking up the pace of public demonstrations in support of the Wheatfield GP workers, and will continue to do so until a fair agreement is achieved. Members of the GP Union Conference, representing thousands of GP workers around the country, want the workers in Wheatfield to know that you’re not alone. If progress is not made at the negotiating table soon, we will be looking at more ways to urge GP to do right by the workers in Wheatfield, get off the concessions in contract talks and offer workers a deal they can live with.
AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL!
No comments:
Post a Comment