Published: October 27, 2009 10:46 pm      

Insurance change upsets workers

City’s AFSCME employees air concerns to mayor, council

CUMBERLAND — Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees were upset by the potential change to their health insurance plans due to the state budget cut to Cumberland’s general fund, and they let their concerns be known at the city council meeting Tuesday night.

Brandon Scarlet said he had looked into the proposed switch to the CareFirst HMO Open Access Health Insurance model and does not feel it is equal to the current health insurance plan of the existing contract.

“I have a 2-year-old daughter who was hospitalized and I looked into it to see if the doctors we currently take her to now are in this coverage,” he said. “Even if I take the high-option of that to continue the service with the doctors she’s currently going to, we couldn’t do that. I feel that this health insurance you’re offering, trying to stick us with, is not equal to what we have.”

Scarlet said there are other ways the city can save money, including decreasing the number of jobs contracted out and letting city workers handle them.

Jim Bestpitch, president of the Western Maryland Central Labor Council, said the proposed change is being forced upon employees and not open for discussion.

“We signed a legal, binding document with you on a certain level of health care, and our contract is pretty iron-clad in its language and we shouldn’t suffer any losses or reductions or benefits on that,” he said. “This is a legal document you all signed and that we went into in faith and goodwill ... but to go back and arbitrarily force a health plan with less benefits, more out of pocket money, not able to use out of state (services) ... we have members who take their children to Morgantown to specialists, because they can’t get the proper care in Cumberland, and to deny these children the proper care we’ve negotiated is outrageous.”

Bespitch said if the city were to hold a contract with someone else, they wouldn’t let them go back on that contract but make them stick to their word.

“That’s all we’re asking, live up to your word,” he said.

Bestpitch said had there been negotiating, the two entities could have gotten through this process by working together.

“But that was not done,” he said. “What was done was a simple arbitrary ‘you’re going to accept this, and if you don’t take it, we’re going to yell.’ That’s threats and we do not respond very favorably to threats, nor do you.”

He said the city has ways to generate revenue but members of AFSCME do not.

“We spend your money, you don’t,” he said. “We’re out there everyday spending your dollars. We can sit in the truck and let the gas run out or we can get out and work.”

Councilman Butch Hendershot responded to Bespitch by first saying he was disappointed if in fact this was the way the city’s representative approached the negotiations. However, Hendershot said these tough times aren’t just happening in Cumberland but all over the country and tough decisions are having to be made.

“We have an extraordinary situation and are living in an extraordinary time,” he said. “And I know health insurance is a very emotionally charged topic ... but with this change the city has the opportunity to save one-third of a million dollars, that’s a lot of money. So I urge all employees to thoroughly read the plan.”

Hendershot said he had to change to this insurance plan last year and at first he was also upset by it. But, after getting use to his new physician and reading the plan thoroughly, he worked through it. And, he said, if the change goes through, others will also have to work through it though it will be tough in the beginning.

“We have never had the state come to us before and take away $1.3 million they promised us,” he said. “And again I emphasize, we are living in an extraordinary time and in an extraordinary situation.”

Contact Tess Hill at thill@times-news.com.