WI collective bargaining changes.... already showing positive signs...

[Damocles]

No, it was Walker and Republicans. The people did not sign up for union busting. Walker and the Republicans will be recalled and thrown out of office.

I think you will be surprised.

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

HERE is the problem; there was no corruption. It is being manufactured in your attack on teachers and their union. 50+ years of collective bargaining created a landscape where public employees make LESS money than the private sector. In the case of college educated public employees (teachers), MUCH less. Teachers created WEA trust that pays back 94 cents of every taxpayer's dollar invested in health insurance. THAT is not malfeasance you freak, it is something that should be applauded and copied.

ROFLMAO... you continue pretending the union workers make less, but refuse to address the amount they work?

As for the WEA trust... they were about to have a significant hike in rates, then suddenly backed off once competition entered into the mix.... yet you ignore this time and again. You instead pretend that there must be some sort of benefit reduction that is the cause. Side note: do link us up to the data on the 94 cents quote you continue posting.

But you right wing ideologues don't concern yourself with innocence or guilt. If YOU say they are guilty, there is no need for proof. That democratic shit is way too much work when you can wield a VERY heavy handed government against people.

So much for LESS government...LOL

LMAO.... so taking the decision of future wage/bene increases OUT of the hands of politicians and putting it BACK INTO THE HANDS OF THE PUBLIC.... to you that is more government?

Again... nothing is 'heavy handed' in this decision.... it puts the decision BACK in the hands of the populace and eliminates the ability of public unions to bribe their bosses for raises.

From FDR.....

All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management. The very nature and purposes of Government make it impossible for administrative officials to represent fully or to bind the employer in mutual discussions with Government employee organizations. The employer is the whole people, who speak by means of laws enacted by their representatives in Congress. Accordingly, administrative officials and employees alike are governed and guided, and in many instances restricted, by laws which establish policies, procedures, or rules in personnel matters.

Particularly, I want to emphasize my conviction that militant tactics have no place in the functions of any organization of Government employees. Upon employees in the Federal service rests the obligation to serve the whole people, whose interests and welfare require orderliness and continuity in the conduct of Government activities. This obligation is paramount. Since their own services have to do with the functioning of the Government, a strike of public employees manifests nothing less than an intent on their part to prevent or obstruct the operations of Government until their demands are satisfied. Such action, looking toward the paralysis of Government by those who have sworn to support it, is unthinkable and intolerable. It is, therefore, with a feeling of gratification that I have noted in the constitution of the National Federation of Federal Employees the provision that "under no circumstances shall this Federation engage in or support strikes against the United States Government."

 

[Bfgrn]

ROFLMAO... you continue pretending the union workers make less, but refuse to address the amount they work?

As for the WEA trust... they were about to have a significant hike in rates, then suddenly backed off once competition entered into the mix.... yet you ignore this time and again. You instead pretend that there must be some sort of benefit reduction that is the cause. Side note: do link us up to the data on the 94 cents quote you continue posting.




LMAO.... so taking the decision of future wage/bene increases OUT of the hands of politicians and putting it BACK INTO THE HANDS OF THE PUBLIC.... to you that is more government?

Again... nothing is 'heavy handed' in this decision.... it puts the decision BACK in the hands of the populace and eliminates the ability of public unions to bribe their bosses for raises.

From FDR.....

Wisconsin’s state and local employees earn 4.8% less per hour in total compensation than their peers in the private sector. That number jumps to 25% for college-educated employees. EPI found that, on average, Wisconsin’s public employees with a bachelor’s degree earn $61,668 in total compensation; their peers working for private employers earn $82,134 in wages and benefits.

Do ALL public employees work from Sept. to June? NO, they don't. But they still earn LESS. And not all college educated public employees work from Sept. to June, do they? Teachers who do have the summer off may contribute to the 25% LESS for college-educated employees, which is significantly less. The charge that teachers don't work as many hours during the school year is ignorant. Teachers put in more than 40 hours every week, but the work they have to do at home is not compensated.

Your moveon.org equivalent bias hit piece fails to mention many significant facts. But we are to accept as gospel what the article 'claims'? You and your hit piece author CHOOSE to ASSume that the teachers are getting the SAME coverage as they would have. It doesn't wash. Especially if you have any understanding of the government bid process.

And it would make no sense for WEA Trust to try to rip off one school district when they deal with so many other school districts. It would be undermining their own credibility and the trust they have created over many years.


District opts to continue with WEA insurance plan
Despite teacher affiliation concerns, program proves less costly

Posted: May 25, 2011

Shorewood - The school district will continue using the Wisconsin Education Association Trust program as its health insurance carrier for the 2011-12 school year.

The School Board on Tuesday made that decision, following a favorable recommendation by Superintendent Blane McCann and Business Manager Mark Boehlke based on the two bids the district received.

Rates for a single employee will decrease 3.7 percent, from $805.78 per month for the 2010-11 school year to $775.98 in 2011-12. Monthly family rates are set to decrease 3.9 percent, from $1,827.74 to $1,756.78.

Boehlke said the annual cost with the WEA Trust was $328,370 less than the quote provided by United Health Care, the other bidder, based on the current design of the district's health insurance plan. He said WEA Trust's annual family premium is $1,617 less than United Health Care's.

Another benefit to retaining the WEA Trust, Boehlke said, is a provision through the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program. He said the district can credit $96,897 toward WEA Trust premiums.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Allegation: WEA Trust health plans are more expensive than other health insurance options for school districts.

Fact: According to the WPRI report (page 13) five of the 10 districts with high premiums alleged to save the most by shifting to the state health plan are not enrolled in WEA Trust plans. The WEA Trust is a not-for-profit health insurance organization that has the lowest administrative ratio of any Wisconsin insurer. The WEA Trust returns 94% of every premium dollar to members in benefits.

http://www.weac.org/news_and_publications/at_the_capitol/archives/2004-2005/wpri.aspx

WEA Trust: Not Your Typical Insurance Company

WEA Trust is the number one health insurance provider in the state of Wisconsin and the number two provider in the US, according to the recent 2009 Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey, an independent national survey which includes hundreds of health plans across the country. The Trust has the advantage of serving a captive audience: it was created by the largest teacher’s union in the state, Wisconsin Educational Association Council (WEAC), to serve all public school districts with a WEAC affiliate, which total approximately 400 districts. From its inception nearly 40 years ago, the company has been striving to be a different kind of insurance company.

“Most people don’t trust their health insurance provider,” said CEO Fred Evert. “We aim to establish long-term relationships with our members to help them be as healthy, productive, and as financially secure as possible.”

He explained that this mission is achieved in part through the Trust’s emphasis on excellent customer service. The organization is exceedingly efficient: Evert said the company has historically delivered 93 cents on every dollar a member pays in the form of benefits. Furthermore, the company still has every call answered personally by a staff member during business hours and strives to have members transferred only once. The company also staffs extra hands before and after school hours when most teachers have time to call their insurance company.

Over the last few years, the Trust has made several investments in its infrastructure to augment its customer service, including adding 60,000 square feet of space to its campus and updating its state-of-the-art phone system. Evert added that he and his team emphasize the benefits of partnerships, such as those with Ingenix software or with the state’s Department of Public Instruction (DPI), in delivering innovative products and exceptional service—hallmarks of the Trust brand.

For example, the Trust underwrites the cost to place DPI’s anti-bullying curriculum in every middle school and high school in Wisconsin. Evert wrote an editorial that ran in all the major state newspapers to support this anti-bullying campaign, Safe and Respectful Schools, saying an unsafe school is not a healthy school. In addition to working to create safer learning environments for Wisconsin children, this partnership distinguishes the Trust as a different type of insurance company.

Through its partnership with Ingenix, the Trust uses a number of software programs to coordinate care for its members. Perhaps the most significant of these is CarePlanner Web, which allows the Trust to use claims information to identify individuals with serious medical risks. Evert said the company works with providers and members to improve quality of care and manage costs.

Evert was proud to report that because of the Trust’s innovative services and excellent service, it enjoys a member persistence rate of more than 95%. “We offer a variety of programs and services to help our members get the care they need at the right place, the right time, and at the right price,” he said.

Ensuring wellness
The Trust has a four-part wellness plan that uses technology and a personal touch to help members stay healthy. The first piece is an online health risk assessment. The company has implemented a number of incentives and educational campaigns about the benefits of such a test, and in 2007, a record 46,000 members took the assessment.

Another piece is the Ingenix ImpactPro software, which takes information from assessments and claims data to identify at-risk individuals. This allows the Trust to communicate with members and make sure they are using the resources that are available to them.

The third piece is a case management system, which includes a number of programs for members with different chronic diseases, like diabetes, cancer, or heart disease. These programs help members get the right care at the right time.

The fourth piece is a software system called Impact Intelligence, which allows the Trust to analyze claims data and work with providers to improve the quality of care. Evert said the company compares providers, partners with those who provide the highest quality care for the lowest cost, and then steers members toward them.

“The rising cost of healthcare necessitates that we choose to get care in the most efficacious and least costly settings, and this technology helps us guide members toward that,” said Evert.

Pending board approval later this year, the Trust plans to offer a new program with its wellness offerings: Trust Rewards. This program is designed to give members an incentive to engage in healthy practices and get regular screenings. The company already sends every member a birthday card on his or her 50th birthday to remind them to get a colonoscopy; Evert said screening rates improved by 22% from that simple measure alone.

The Trust also sponsors programs that include community outreach and education initiatives, like the Movin’ and Munchin’ program, which is in conjunction with the DPI. Through Movin’ and Munchin’, the company sponsors two Wisconsin Olympians to speak at school districts across the state, encouraging adults and kids to adopt healthy behaviors. With the help of the Trust, the program has increased participation nearly 400%, including 170 schools in 2008, up from 34 in 2007.

Innovative insurance
There are few more important values for the Trust than innovation, as these programs illustrate. But Evert and his team have more up their sleeves. This year, the company redesigned its prescription drug benefits so about 100 of the most commonly used therapeutic classes require no co-payment when members opt for a generic label. Already, nearly 60% of the company’s members use generics rather than brand-name drugs, saving about $115 per prescription.

The Trust was one of the first in the nation to offer a long-term disability plan that essentially replaces a member’s take-home pay with a 90% replacement ratio. The company is also one of the only of its kind to offer true group long-term care plans. Currently, 58,000 of its members are insured for about $300,000 in the event they are incapacitated for an extended period of time. They can shield assets equal to that amount and still qualify for Medicaid support.

http://www.americanexecutive.com/featured-spotlights/157-featured-corporate-spotlights/7284-wea-trust-not-your-typical-insurance-company

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

Wisconsin’s state and local employees earn 4.8% less per hour in total compensation than their peers in the private sector. That number jumps to 25% for college-educated employees. EPI found that, on average, Wisconsin’s public employees with a bachelor’s degree earn $61,668 in total compensation; their peers working for private employers earn $82,134 in wages and benefits.

Do ALL public employees work from Sept. to June? NO, they don't. But they still earn LESS. And not all college educated public employees work from Sept. to June, do they? Teachers who do have the summer off may contribute to the 25% LESS for college-educated employees, which is significantly less. The charge that teachers don't work as many hours during the school year is ignorant. Teachers put in more than 40 hours every week, but the work they have to do at home is not compensated.

ROFLMAO.... NO ONE charged that teachers don't work as many hours during the school year you fucking retard. Quit creating your stupid straw men.

Your moveon.org equivalent bias hit piece fails to mention many significant facts. But we are to accept as gospel what the article 'claims'? You and your hit piece author CHOOSE to ASSume that the teachers are getting the SAME coverage as they would have. It doesn't wash. Especially if you have any understanding of the government bid process.

BLAH BLAH BLAH.... when you get done stomping your feet and wish to have a discussion, do let me know. I understand how bids work. I also understand the insurance industry far better than you do. If you have some evidence that the coverage is being changed, do present it.

And it would make no sense for WEA Trust to try to rip off one school district when they deal with so many other school districts. It would be undermining their own credibility and the trust they have created over many years.

You are again assuming that the practice is only for that one district.

District opts to continue with WEA insurance plan
Despite teacher affiliation concerns, program proves less costly

Posted: May 25, 2011

Shorewood - The school district will continue using the Wisconsin Education Association Trust program as its health insurance carrier for the 2011-12 school year.

The School Board on Tuesday made that decision, following a favorable recommendation by Superintendent Blane McCann and Business Manager Mark Boehlke based on the two bids the district received.

Rates for a single employee will decrease 3.7 percent, from $805.78 per month for the 2010-11 school year to $775.98 in 2011-12. Monthly family rates are set to decrease 3.9 percent, from $1,827.74 to $1,756.78.

Boehlke said the annual cost with the WEA Trust was $328,370 less than the quote provided by United Health Care, the other bidder, based on the current design of the district's health insurance plan. He said WEA Trust's annual family premium is $1,617 less than United Health Care's.

Do you even READ your own links? The above shows that they are not changing the benefits.

Another benefit to retaining the WEA Trust, Boehlke said, is a provision through the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program. He said the district can credit $96,897 toward WEA Trust premiums.

So they are subsidizing it with credits from other programs? Good to know.

Allegation: WEA Trust health plans are more expensive than other health insurance options for school districts.

Fact: According to the WPRI report (page 13) five of the 10 districts with high premiums alleged to save the most by shifting to the state health plan are not enrolled in WEA Trust plans. The WEA Trust is a not-for-profit health insurance organization that has the lowest administrative ratio of any Wisconsin insurer. The WEA Trust returns 94% of every premium dollar to members in benefits.

So if 5/10 are NOT WEA, then of course that means 5/10 ARE WEA.

 

[Bfgrn]

ROFLMAO.... NO ONE charged that teachers don't work as many hours during the school year you fucking retard. Quit creating your stupid straw men.



BLAH BLAH BLAH.... when you get done stomping your feet and wish to have a discussion, do let me know. I understand how bids work. I also understand the insurance industry far better than you do. If you have some evidence that the coverage is being changed, do present it.



You are again assuming that the practice is only for that one district.




Do you even READ your own links? The above shows that they are not changing the benefits.



So they are subsidizing it with credits from other programs? Good to know.




So if 5/10 are NOT WEA, then of course that means 5/10 ARE WEA.

You really are a disingenuous TURD freak. Weren't you taught one shred of honesty?

YOUR OP

Then we also have.....

Then there are work rules. "In the collective bargaining agreement, high school teachers only had to teach five periods a day, out of seven," says Arnoldussen. "Now, they're going to teach six." In addition, the collective bargaining agreement specified that teachers had to be in the school 37 1/2 hours a week. Now, it will be 40 hours.

OH DA EVILZZZ... making them actually work 40 hours in a week???? ATROCITY!!! ATROCITY I TELL YA....

'based on the current design of the district's health insurance plan' does not reinforce your slanderous bluster. The 'current design' would be the Shorewood district's bid specifications.

It is NOT the Kaukauna school district in your hit piece. Please try to pay attention.

BTW, here is the link I forgot in a previous post.

http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20110630/APC0101/106300455/Story-documents-Kaukauna-schools-project-1-5M-surplus?odyssey=nav|head

 

[Canceled2]

Reading the slanted piece from the Express Milwauki online journal is telling!

1. The so called non partisan study does not tell us where we can find these private VS public studies to check facts and understand where these comparisons actually exist i.e. nationally, locally tenured etc.- still public employees are FREE to seek employment in the private sector. EPI is NOT non partisan see here

2. Furlough days are unpaid un-worked days- My brother is a public employee- They took a 5% cut ( no annual raise=cuts) in order to avoid furloughs-they are also saving money via attrition. The next step fore them is to rewrite policy for things such as art projects (beautification budgets) that will allow them to take reserve funds for such things and move them over to the general fund.

3. Bargaining policies should never be considered "rights"- They are not constitutional rights.

 

[zappasguitar]

Bfgrn, your clear intent is to be as retarded as possible.

No, that would be your intent.

Two days ago you ran away from a debate like a gutless coward when you got caught stating first: that Natural Gas IS Methane...and then: that Methane is only PART of what Natural Gas is.

So...which time were you lying you gutless little coward?

 

[DamnYankee]

No, that would be your intent.

Two days ago you ran away from a debate like a gutless coward when you got caught stating first: that Natural Gas IS Methane...and then: that Methane is only PART of what Natural Gas is.

So...which time were you lying you gutless little coward?

FatAssInTheGutter are you still on this shit? Its not my fault that you read shit into something that's not there.

 

[Liberty]

You can 'emote' all you want, but I don't fucking lie...

Wisconsin’s state and local employees earn 4.8% less per hour in total compensation than their peers in the private sector. That number jumps to 25% for college-educated employees. The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) found that, on average, Wisconsin’s public employees with a bachelor’s degree earn $61,668 in total compensation; their peers working for private employers earn $82,134 in wages and benefits.

And although Gov. Scott Walker is earning $144,423 as a public sector employee with “some college” education, his pay package is not typical. Public sector employees who attended college but did not earn a diploma earn an average $46,707 in wages and benefits, while those in the private sector earn 7% more, or $50,324, EPI found.

The 94 cents of every dollar YOU spend is going towards WHAT it should go towards...health care coverage. Only 6 cents of YOUR dollar goes toward operating costs, including profit. It it the best per dollar VALUE for the taxpayers and the best coverage per dollar spent for teachers.

Gee,,, that doesn't sound anything like what I've seen and heard.

 

[Mott the Hoople]

So answer me this, are you obtuse, dense and a moron or are you just a scum bag who has no ethics, honesty or morals like Scott Walker?

You ask that like it's a bad thing!

 

[Liberty]

HERE is what we know as FACT...

Scott Walker is intent on busting the unions. He made that CLEAR in his conversation with who he thought was cartel polluter David Koch. So everything he and Republicans did is designed, crafted and written to achieve THAT objective. BUT, you take Scott Walker at his word that he is only doing these things for fiscal reasons.

So answer me this, are you obtuse, dense and a moron or are you just a scum bag who has no ethics, honesty or morals like Scott Walker?

I like Scott Walker.

Finally,,,, a politician that's doing what the voters sent him to office to do.

 

[zappasguitar]

FatAssInTheGutter are you still on this shit? Its not my fault that you read shit into something that's not there.

Well if you'd give an honest, REASONABLE answer then we'd be done with "this shit", but as long as you continue to duck my question over and over like the chickenshit little girl we know you are, then "this shit" will continue.

See? Just stop being a little girl and "this shit" will end.

 

[DamnYankee]

Well if you'd give an honest, REASONABLE answer then we'd be done with "this shit", but as long as you continue to duck my question over and over like the chickenshit little girl we know you are, then "this shit" will continue.

See? Just stop being a little girl and "this shit" will end.

Was being a fat bastard, totally nonathletic in high school the cause of your sexism?

 

[Bfgrn]

Reading the slanted piece from the Express Milwauki online journal is telling!

1. The so called non partisan study does not tell us where we can find these private VS public studies to check facts and understand where these comparisons actually exist i.e. nationally, locally tenured etc.- still public employees are FREE to seek employment in the private sector. EPI is NOT non partisan see here

2. Furlough days are unpaid un-worked days- My brother is a public employee- They took a 5% cut ( no annual raise=cuts) in order to avoid furloughs-they are also saving money via attrition. The next step fore them is to rewrite policy for things such as art projects (beautification budgets) that will allow them to take reserve funds for such things and move them over to the general fund.

3. Bargaining policies should never be considered "rights"- They are not constitutional rights.

EPI Study

http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/6759/

 

[Canceled2]

I like Scott Walker.

Finally,,,, a politician that's doing what the voters sent him to office to do.

Refreshing hardly describes it!

 

[Bfgrn]

Refreshing hardly describes it!

Truly amazing. This guy Walker lied, deceived and subverted the democratic election process. It brought out over 100,000 hard working Wisconsin citizens in protest. And you right wing slime want to suck his dick. You really do LOVE authoritarians and you really do LOVE government, when it PUNISHES and harms human beings.

You people were raised by wolves.

 

[Bfgrn]

Gee,,, that doesn't sound anything like what I've seen and heard.

Maybe there is a reason...

I heard Ray McGovern, a retired CIA agent whose expertise was the old Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc countries say the propaganda coming out of Fox News is at the same level as Pravda. But I suspect most Russians knew Pravda was propaganda.

 

[PostmodernProphet]

You people were raised by wolves.

doesn't that make you the sheep?......

 

[Taichiliberal]

Originally Posted by Taichiliberal
No problem with getting rid of an unfair lock on insurance providers.....but then the other shoe drops. Case in point:

Balanced Budgets and Free Lunches in Kaukauna

This year for the first time schools have had to cut their levels of expenditures – instead of increasing spending by a couple of hundred dollars per student, the Governor’s budget requires cuts of 5.5%, which work out to about $550 or $600 per student.


http://edhughesschoolblog.wordpress....s-in-kaukauna/

It looks like the teachers are absorbing the $ that the kids are doing without.

Only if you don't READ CAREFULLY AND COMPREHENSIVELY the quote AND the article from which it came.

 

[Liberty]

Maybe there is a reason...

I heard Ray McGovern, a retired CIA agent whose expertise was the old Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc countries say the propaganda coming out of Fox News is at the same level as Pravda. But I suspect most Russians knew Pravda was propaganda.

That's funny, but I don't watch that dude. I get my Info from libertarian news minded sources.

CNN, Fox, MSNBC, CBS, ABC are all owned by people and companys that have an agenda that doesn't favor freedom, and liberty.