Fringe Benefit Negotiations Hit Stalemate

L.A. County Refuses to Cover Cost of Health Care Inflation Unless Labor Agrees to Plan That Will Bankrupt Retirees – November 7, 2013

On Friday, Nov. 1, the Coalition of County Unions (CCU), SEIU Local 721, and the 800,000-member Los Angeles County Federation of Labor publicly announced a unified front to protect affordable healthcare for current and future members and retirees. This joint announcement came days after Fringe Benefit negotiations hit a stalemate, when County negotiators declared that they would not fund the increased cost of health care benefits for current employees unless we agreed to radical changes to retiree health care benefits for future employees. The announcement also comes as SEIU Local 721 members are taking a strike vote.

The County has admitted – both at the bargaining table and to the news media – that they have plenty of money in the budget to increase their contribution to Choices to cover healthcare inflation (they also have more than enough money to continue to pay for Retiree Health Care).

As County employees, we should not have our income reduced today just because the County wants to change a “policy” that affects people 30 years from now. Further, if we allow this tactic to succeed, we can be sure that the County will use it in future negotiations to reduce other benefits, such as the County’s contribution to the Horizons Plan.

The CCU and SEIU are committed to defeating this tactic and will be calling on members to take action in support. 

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