When Silence is not Golden- Join us on August 13th

The GHI /HIP PRIVATIZATION HEALTH CARE PROPOSAL Will Increase Costs and Reduce Health Care Benefits of Transit Workers.

Therefore it is time for the MTA and TWU leaders to break their silence and join the movement to stop the privatization of GHI/HIP.


With the GHI/HIP merger now complete, the newly formed Corporation has sent a new proposal to change their status from a non-profit to a for-profit corporation. Much is still unknown about the merger, as GHI/HIP are still operating independently right now, but if this next and final step of a conversion is allowed to go though, history tells us it will not be good for workers.

The conversion of GHI/HIP will undoubtedly lead to higher premiums and higher co-pays. Workers wages will also either be cut or greatly reduced to cover rapidly raising health care costs. For transit workers, there is the added burden of the 1.5+%. with no cap, which will also undoubtly go up at a much faster rate. There will most likely be a ranking of subscribers as too risky; factors which can be extremely problematic for retires and members with pre-existing medical conditions.

Claims and care will be more frequently denied as profit for shareholders and not care by doctors and medical providers will be the priority of a for-profit company. The salaries of the CEO’s of HIP have already begun to skyrocket and GHI's CEOs are sure to follow suit soon. History also shows us that the work forces of both GHI and HIP will be downsized as part of the conversion to a for profit corporation.

The conversion of GHI/HIP to a for-profit company is just a signature away, yet all we hear is silence from both the leadership of TWU local 100 and the MTA.

The plan to covert non-profit healthcare into for profit has become common place around the country, but the speed and secrecy which was attempted to privitize GHI/HIP has been unique. There have been no impact studies and only two public hearings held back in January 2008 on the GHI/HIP conversion. The privatization of GHI/HIP which will affect over four million people and over 90% of the municipal work force in NYC now rests in one man's hands, Eric Dinallo, the NY State Superintendent of Insurance. Therefore the only thing standing in the way of the deal to make GHI/HIP a public company is Mr. Dinallo -- and the Coalition Against Privatization (CAP).

CAP was formed in Feburary 2008 by Marvin Holland (TWU-Stations), John Powers (UFT) and William Wharton. In just six just months CAP has become a movement though a series of rallies and public demonstrations, the last one on July 30. We are now calling on all the progressive forces in health care reform movement, along with transit workers to come out to the MTA Public Hearing on WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2008 at 347 Madison Avenue (44th and 45th) in Manhattan at 4:30PM and speak out against the privization of GHI/HIP.

We think the perfect time to educate working class people about the GHI/HIP conversion is at a MTA public hearing on the Capital Budget. The MTA cannot have it both ways -- on the one hand they blame the health care cost of workers for fare hikes, but will remain silent on the conversion of GHI/HIP. We also think it is time for TWU Local 100 President Roger Toussaint to break his long silence on the GHI/HIP merger and now conversion. Mr. Toussaint is highly accountable as he sits on the GHI board which means he would have had to vote on both the merger and now conversion but has been mute on this subject. Like the MTA, Mr. Toussaint cannot have it both ways; on the one hand he attacks the McCain-Bush republican health care plans to undermine existing employer-based health care. But remains silent on his own involvement in this which will lower health care standards for his own members.

In addition we call on all elected officials in the State from the Governor to the NY City council to take a closer look at this conversion. and call for open public hearings all over the state. If GHI/HIP is allowed to become a for profit company it has the potential to very easy break the city and state budgets. CAP is calling for all community activists, union members, students and everyone who believes health care is a human right to join us on Wednesday August 13th 2008 at the MTA building.

Healthy, Wealthy and Wise Returns to Harlem Wednesday July 23rd

This Wednesday July 23rd the Healthy,Wealthy and Wise Seminar returns to Harlem with two sessions one in the morning from 9:00AM to noon and an evening session from 4:00PM to 7:00PM.Both sessions will take place at the St Thomas Liberal Catholic Church located at :
147 west 144street take 3 train to 145 st. or by bus M10


Among the guest speakers will be Norman Rosenfeld the retired Deputy Director at NYCERS.Mr Rosenfeld is one of the for most experts on the TWU local 100 NYCERS pension plan.Anyone thinking about retiring in the next few years or if you just want to learn more about the NYCERS pension plan should not miss this free seminar.In addition to Mr. Rosenfeld we will also have Chris Arceneaux V.P. from First Republic Bank and an expert in credit repair and an executive mortgage consultant.Anyone who wants to improve their credit score or is looking to purchase a home should also attend this free financial seminar.At the healthy ,wealthy and wise seminars there are always surprise guests,free giveaways and refreshments served, so come out to Harlem this Wednesday July 23rd and join your brothers and sisters who are getting there assets in order.

To RSVP by E-mail - seminars@homestationonline.org or via phone (212)631-5857 anytime day or night 24 hours automated reservation system

Update on GHI/HIP merger and conversion

The latest person to show serious concern about the GHI/HIP conversion is senator Tom Duane here is his letter :

Dear Superintendent Dinallo:
With the 2008 Legislative Session behind us, I understand the New York State Insurance Department will be continuing its consideration of the proposed conversion of GHI/HIP to the for-profit entity EmblemHealth, Inc. I am deeply concerned about the impact this conversion would have on many of my constituents and GHI/HIP members throughout New York State.
As you know, NY Insurance Law §7317(b) prohibits such a change in the status of not-for-profit health insurance entities to a for-profit company if the move would "adversely affect the applicant's contractholders or members," or "negatively impact on the delivery of health care benefits and services to the people of the state of New York." I believe that this conversion will both negatively impact the provision of health care services to the people of New York, and, more specifically, will adversely affect those individuals who are currently enrolled in GHI and HIP's health plans.

All other states considering such conversions within the past five years &ndash Kansas, Washington, North Carolina, and Maryland &ndash have rejected these plans. As with all other for-profit corporations, the foundational legal obligation of EmblemHealth will be to maximize profits for its shareholders. The pursuit of profit will therefore be the company's premiere priority, surpassing the provision of quality health care services to its members as the company's primary goal. This will inevitably lead to higher prices for health care consumers and the cutting of corners with respect to the quality of health care services. If EmblemHealth raises its rates, its competitors are likely to do so as well, and all New Yorkers will suffer. A number of studies have shown that for-profit health insurance companies provide poorer quality health services and have lower rates of customer satisfaction than not-for-profit health care providers.
Currently, both GHI and HIP are financially viable and provide quality health care services to New Yorkers. There is absolutely no reason to permit a conversion to not-for-profit status, particularly when for-profit health care providers have been proven to be worse for New Yorkers than not-for-profits. Comprehensive, quality, healthcare for all New Yorkers must be the primary goal of health care providers &ndash not the acquisition of profit. For all these reasons, I strongly oppose the conversion of GHI and HIP to the for-profit EmblemHealth.
Thank you very much for your consideration of my position on this important matter.
Sincerely, Thomas K. DuaneNew York State Senate29th District

Dear Superintendent Dinallo:
With the 2008 Legislative Session behind us, I understand the New York State Insurance Department will be continuing its consideration of the proposed conversion of GHI/HIP to the for-profit entity EmblemHealth, Inc. I am deeply concerned about the impact this conversion would have on many of my constituents and GHI/HIP members throughout New York State.
As you know, NY Insurance Law §7317(b) prohibits such a change in the status of not-for-profit health insurance entities to a for-profit company if the move would "adversely affect the applicant's contractholders or members," or "negatively impact on the delivery of health care benefits and services to the people of the state of New York." I believe that this conversion will both negatively impact the provision of health care services to the people of New York, and, more specifically, will adversely affect those individuals who are currently enrolled in GHI and HIP's health plans.

All other states considering such conversions within the past five years &ndash Kansas, Washington, North Carolina, and Maryland &ndash have rejected these plans. As with all other for-profit corporations, the foundational legal obligation of EmblemHealth will be to maximize profits for its shareholders. The pursuit of profit will therefore be the company's premiere priority, surpassing the provision of quality health care services to its members as the company's primary goal. This will inevitably lead to higher prices for health care consumers and the cutting of corners with respect to the quality of health care services. If EmblemHealth raises its rates, its competitors are likely to do so as well, and all New Yorkers will suffer. A number of studies have shown that for-profit health insurance companies provide poorer quality health services and have lower rates of customer satisfaction than not-for-profit health care providers.
Currently, both GHI and HIP are financially viable and provide quality health care services to New Yorkers. There is absolutely no reason to permit a conversion to not-for-profit status, particularly when for-profit health care providers have been proven to be worse for New Yorkers than not-for-profits. Comprehensive, quality, healthcare for all New Yorkers must be the primary goal of health care providers &ndash not the acquisition of profit. For all these reasons, I strongly oppose the conversion of GHI and HIP to the for-profit EmblemHealth.
Thank you very much for your consideration of my position on this important matter.
Sincerely,

Thomas K. DuaneNew York State Senate29th District

Marty Goodman Leads Charge to Cool Off Moblie Wash Rooms

In two weeks Marty Goodman did what the union could not for over a decade -- he got air conditioning for the Mobile Wash room at West 4th street.

Mr. Goodman, a three time executive board member of TWU Local 100 went directly to Howard Roberts, the President of the Transit Authority and made it clear that cleaners in Stations need and deserve air conditioning now in the summer.

After going through the very bureaucratic T.A. chain of command, Mr.Goodman said enough and on June 23rd, sent a letter directly to Mr. Roberts about the inhumane working conditions at West 4th street. As of this past weekend, a temporary AC has already been put in at the Mobile Wash room at West 4th St.

But this is not just about West 4th Street; you can go into any Mobile Wash room and you will see many rooms without basic amenities such as AC.

That is why, following several meetings with the members at West 4th Street an informational picket has been scheduled for 8:00 am this Wednesday, July 16th at 2 Broadway at the T.A. headquarters. We will picket until we get A/C in all Mobile Wash rooms.

But that is just a start: we will not stop our Take Back Our Union action approach in Stations until both the T.A. and the union stop treating us like second class employees and members. As the members of Stations prepare to take back our union, this victory for cleaners in Stations is the first step on a long road to dignity and respect.

Is Democracy Dead in TWU Local 100?

With the passing of the recent By-law amendments many feel that true Union Democracy is dead in Local 100. But if you carefully look at it, the Bylaw changes main function is to solidify the position of those already in power. While it does limit the members choices in things like conventions etc, it does not kill democracy in Local 100. It merely changes the playing field.
These Bylaw changes make Union-wide elections even more important than they once were. As it stands, the only way to really effect change in Local 100 is voting in Union-wide elections. If you don't like the job your Union reps are doing: vote them out. If you think they all stink: clean house.
In turn this makes being up to date on your Union dues crucial.
In order to vote, you must be paid up. In order to run for office you must be paid up for 12 months. If you are paid up, both back dues and current dues, you can shape the direction of the Union. Want better reps? Better contracts? Want to vote on the contract? Pay your Union dues.
Having some extra pocket change each month is great, but protecting your pension, your job and having a say in your next contract is even better.

The Healthy,Wealthy and Wise Seminars Series Returns Wednesday July 9th

The Healthy,Wealthy and Wise seminar series returns Wednesday July 9th with both an A.M. and a P.M. session. The free workshops are designed specifically to help transit workers get their finances in order and to better prepare them for retirement. In these changing times of rising expenses, it is never to early to prepare for retirement. Thinking about buying a home, but think you cannot afford it? Don't know what type of life insurance is best for you and your family?Want to know about inside secrets on how to repair your credit? These are just some of the questions that you can have answered absolutely free of charge this summer on Wednesdays.

For those of you not familiar with this series, they are an ongoing series of workshops focusing on helping transit workers reach their individual health, finance and educational goals. The seminars were started by a small group of station members who were each experiencing their own financial challenges and hardships. We first approached the union with the idea of holding financial seminars at the union hall, and were told the union did not have the time or the resources to do these type of forums. We felt this information was so important and powerful we pooled what little resources we had and the Healthy, Wealthy and Wise seminar series was born.

Initially the main focus of these seminars had been finance; recently we have begun to hold seminars on health and wellness, including weight loss. We have also held joint educational forums with the UFT on the GHI/HIP merger, and will soon be covering our workers compensation and safety forums.

But don't take my word on the Healthy, Wealthy and Wise forums; listen to what your co-workers have to say about the workshops. Or better yet, take time out one Wednesday this summer to get your assets in order. These seminars will focus on the topic of finance every other Wednesday though out the summer, so don't be left out - come experience what every one in transit is talking about, and and get your assets in order. Transit workers have no excuse this summer not to get their financial house in order as Healthy Wealthy and Wise will be coming to all five boroughs, beginning Wednesday July 9th, at the Afrikan Poetry Theatre in Jamaica Queens, located at 176-03 Jamaica Avenue.

Vote No to By - Law Changes from Richard Rivera -CED

Executive Board Member -Tony Guishard says:

Screw the members; let them make their dues payments on their own like the rest of us.

Why should the shop committee help them out by collecting checks and forwarding the payments to the Union Hall?

Why would he say this?
Because him, Toussaint and Nelson Rivera don’t want you to pay your dues. They don’t want you to have a voice, vote and an opinion.

He even went as far to say that “allowing the members to vote on the by-law changes is just a courtesy. The E-Board should be making the decision alone, without the members input”.

PAY YOUR DUES SO YOU CAN VOTE!

THE BY-LAW CHANGES ARE A SCAM! VOTE NO
and help to Take Back Our Union from the Scam Artists. Tell ‘em to keep the dog tags

FYI from Richard Rivera Shop Steward Car Repair
Member in Good Standing

Stations members fight for Heathcare Reform while Leadership Remains Silent

Here is another interesting article on the struggle to stop the conversion of GHI/HIP into a for profit healthcare insurance corporation. Members of the Transport Worker Union Local 100 from Stations are stepping up as their leadership remains silent.

City Workers Face Costly HIP ReplacementBy Chris Cascarano From
the June 26, 2008 issue Posted in Local Email this article

Cranes fall. Billion-dollar corporate giveaways are negotiated behind closed doors. Greedy politicians and executives seek to dismember a not-for-profit healthcare company utilized by millions of people. Each of these stories and a hundred others like them are presented randomly by the media. Yet, a single-minded logic flows through them all. As our city is auctioned off to the investor class, is there room for any other concern besides maximizing profit? This article is part 1 of 3 in the Carving Up New York series, please see part 2 and part 3 in this issue of The Indypendent.
Maurice Jenkins, a 50-year-old MTA station agent, stands on his feet for many hours a day, and despite a click in his knee, he has no major illness or condition that needs medical attention. “I’ve been blessed with good health,” says Jenkins.

However, Jenkins and much of New York’s municipal work force face
an uncertain future as their main health care providers, GHI (Group Health Incorporated) and HIP (Health Insurance Plan for Greater New York), move to convert themselves into a single, for-profit enterprise. “I’m not satisfied now,” says Jenkins, who has worked at MTA for 27 years. “You have to shop around to different doctors to get anything done. But the wild thing is, it could get worse.”

GHI and HIP are the two largest remaining not-for-profit insurers in the region, with combined annual revenues of $7 billion. They cover 93 percent of the city’s work force, some 518,000 people, and about 4 million people statewide.

The two organizations united in 2006, raising antitrust concerns that were not pursued by state or federal officials. In April 2007, Emblem Health Inc., the parent company of GHI-HIP, filed a conversion plan with the State Department of Insurance. The conversion is a fundamental change in corporate structure that will legally obligate GHI-HIP executives to make as much money as
possible for shareholders, and critics worry that it will unleash the same
market forces that have left tens of millions of Americans uninsured or under insured.

“Consumers’ cost of coverage will increase and benefits will weaken or
water down,” says Chuck Bell of the Consumers Union, who spoke at a June 19
protest organized by the Coalition Against Privatization (CAP) outside of GHI’s headquarters. According to GHI’s web site, converting to for-profit
status will allow the company to raise more funding in capital markets and be
able to offer “greater flexibility in types of coverage, more choice in benefit
plans, and more customer-driven innovations that improve access to care.” GHI also says rates for customers will be determined by the same factors as before.

Eric Laursen, a New York City-based journalist and activist who writes about social services issues, begs to differ. “They [GHI-HIP] are going to start to differentiate their customers,” says Laursen. “People who are more affluent are
going to get all sorts of boutique packages that they will be charged lots of
money for. For less well-off people they [GHI-HIP] will charge a lot more money for a narrower range of services.”

OFF THE RADAR
The conversion plan has received little attention and has gone largely unchallenged by the leadership of the city’s municipal unions. The first public outcry came in late January when the State Department of Insurance public hearings were held in New York City and Albany. Some 300 people attended the events to voice their opinions before New York State Superintendent of Insurance, Eric Dinallo, who will make the final decision.

According to the city’s Deputy Mayor of Operations, Edward Skyler, who spoke
at January’s hearing on behalf of Mayor Bloomberg, the conversion will lead to higher premiums that the city will have to make up. “All factors demonstrate that GHI and HIP cannot convert to a for-profit corporation without inflicting irrecoverable harm on the city,” Skyler said at the Jan. 29 hearing in New York. The city has filed a
lawsuit to block the consolidation and conversion of GHI and HIP that is still pending in the courts.

Since the meetings, the application has been amended and the conditions of the application are being reworked, according to the New York State Department of Insurance. For those opposed to the conversion, the Department of Insurance’s willingness to scrutinize the conversion more closely was unexpected. “It’s good news,” says Bill Wharton, a CAP organizer. “We really didn’t expect this
and it’s definitely taking a turn for the better.” If the conversion does go
forward, the City would like to receive a sizeable chunk of the $3-5 billion in assets
that will be liquidated when GHI-HIP goes private. So too would various
unions. By law, all the proceeds from the conversion would go into the State’s
coffers even though the City has contributed 60 percent of the combined value of GHI-HIP since the two groups were founded in 1937 and 1947, respectively.

For Laursen, the proposed conversion of GHI-HIP is a part of larger trend over the
past 20 years of mutual insurance companies transforming themselves into
for-profit ventures. “The slow-rolling collapse of our health care system”
“The for-profit drive that started at the top of the insurance market with
the likes of Prudential and Equitable and continued with many of the Blue
Cross/Blue Shields has worked its way down to outfits like GHI-HIP, who for a long time have been the place you went if you wanted low-cost coverage of all the basics,” Laursen says. “This is another ingredient in the slow-rolling collapse of our health care system. The private sector can no longer provide a model of coverage for low-income people with chronic health problems.”

In what may be a sign of things to come, compensation for HIP’s top ten executives doubled in 2007 with CEO Anthony Watson leading the way, according to a report in the New York Sun. Watson’s pay jumped to $4.79 million in 2007 from $2.15 million. HIP’s Chief Operating Officer Daniel McGowan earned $2.46 million, up from $1.14 million while Chief Financial Officer and General Consul Michael Fullwood was paid $1.99 million, an increase from $896,000.

While top executives prosper, Laursen says the cost of for-profit conversions like the ones being pursued by GHI-HIP falls on the public sector. “More
and more people who are low income are going to be forced to do two things: go
to emergency rooms for primary care and fall back on Medicaid,” Laursen says. “By going to a for-profit model, these companies are going to be passing on the cost of covering people who are less well off to the states and the federal government.”

As the number of uninsured people in the United States has increased to 47 million in 2006 and another 40 million are under-insured, the battle for CAP isn’t solely for preventing the privatization of GHI-HIP. It’s allied with Health Care Now, a national coalition that is pressing the United States to join the two dozen nations in the industrialized world that have adopted universal, single-payer health care, a government-sponsored system that guarantees coverage to everyone regardless of income or pre-existing conditions. Legislation that would guarantee this currently has only 88 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives.

“Any kind of national reform where you reduce the cost of administrative spending will increase health care quality,” Bell said. “It could get consumers more efficiency and bang for their buck in terms of health care coverage.”—

Laursen, who suffers from asthma, would like to see such a move. After being covered by GHI for the past seven years through his union, he switched last month to a bare bones plan offered by Oxford Insurance due to skyrocketing rate increases from GHI. “They are trying to jack things up now so their balance sheet looks better to investors,” Laursen says. “You can’t wait until you go private. You have to make yourself look good now.”

As for Maurice Jenkins, he says GHI has been good about covering his checkups, but he still worries about being denied coverage for more serious problems that might arise after the company goes private. “Checkups aren’t what is important when it comes to health care,” said Jenkins. “What is important is that they take major surgeries or chemotherapy — that is what matters.”

For more, see healthcare-now.org

Additional reporting by John Tarleton. Subscribe to the Indypendent!

Double-Dipping TWU Secretary Treasurer

Interesting Article From the TWU Bus Website:

TWU Secretary Treasurer ED Watt Exposed as Double Agent for MTA!

Ed Watt is the second most frequent user of FREE E-ZPass issued by MTA to
Board Members, as reported by Pete Donohue, NY Daily News on Friday, June 20th, 2008. (Click here for whole story)

Mr. Watt is listed as a non-voting MTA Board Member. I guess that means he gets all the perks too!! Now, lets look at this carefully- A Union spokesman defends Ed Watt by stating "Ed's full-time job is conducting MTA business, and that's what he
uses his E-ZPass for," let's not forget Ed Watt is elected by us, the
membership, to do our bidding not the MTA's. He is on the MTA Board with the #2
highest usage of the free E-ZPass.

His title is still Bus Operator That means he still has a TA issued Employee Metro Card now... The Union Hall is still over on West End Avenue (no new building yet...) and the MTA Headquaters Building is on Madison Avenue and
44th Street. You mean Bloomberg built a toll booth between the Union Hall &
the MTA and we missed it?

Oh wait...got it! He lives out in Belle Harbor, in that really big expensive
Victorian house one door from the Atlantic Ocean that he purchased with his
Union Salary ($125,730 as per 2007 LM2) and commutes over MTA Toll Bridges
daily... for FREE???

As reported by Pete Donohoue of the NY Daily News, MTA Board Vice Chairman David Mack , has publicly stated that the use of mass transit is sort of beneath him... Is this the same sentiment that Ed Watt has? He doesn't use Mass Transit either, a service provided by the very people he is supposed to represent! Another thought... If Ed Watt is on the MTA Board getting this and who knows what other perks, where is the mandate for him to be an advocate for 37,000 members in need of a contract by years' end?

What other perks or deals are our Top "Elected" Officers receiving from the MTA
to soften their views and undermine the membership's voice.

Eddie what have you done?

Finally Together for the First Time Ever MTA Bus, TA Surface and MaBSTOA

MaBSTOA Bus Driver Isreal Rivera has launched TWUBus.com with information and news for the benefit of all transit workers and will be particularly helpful to MTA bus personnel, who sometimes feel isolated and left out.

Being from Stations Department we understand second class citzenship and being left out, and that's why I would like to thank brother Isreal for doing something that should have been done a long time ago and to keep up the good work.

The Reason I Vote NO On The By-Law Changes

By Station Agent Christine Williams

There are so many reasons that I don’t know where to start. I don’t know, but this whole thing is suspect to me. In my opinion, the last thing this union needs is to amend the Local 100 By Laws.

Think about it. Right now TWU Local 100 has a lot of very important issues to deal with. I think the number one issue is to increase and encourage members to pay their dues. Almost half the membership cannot even vote on this issue, so whats the point?

Changing a union's by laws is a very big deal. These changes can permanently alter this union and burden the membership for years to come. Are any of these changes going to benefit the union as a whole? Or will it merely centralize the control to a few people at the top? Will any of these changes give more control to its members to make changes in union leadership? Or will these changes make it harder for the members to choose who they want to represent them?

Just to give you a couple of examples of what I mean: For one, this union wants us to vote on moving this year’s union election up to June. I mean, really, is that so important that you have to amend the union's by laws?

They also want to change the way to choose delegates that go to the convention.

I can think of a thousand things that can be done to improve this union. And I know you can too. Why spend tens of thousands of dollars on this election to change the union's by laws, when we should be using this money to run the union?

I think the number one issue for this union right now is to encourage all Local 100 members to pay their dues! This union needs to increase the amount of members in good standing to have a fair and honest election. But it looks like this union has another agenda.

I guess it’s going to be up to us, the members of TWU Local 100 to stand up and Take Back Our Union. By not paying your dues you give the union leadership more power to dictate the out come of union referendums and union elections.

I am not going to tell you how to vote, but please just read the ballot for yourselves and ask yourselves some questions. How will all these amendment changes benefit Local 100 as a whole? How will these changes help me and my fellow brothers and sisters in TWU Local 100? Then make your choice.

I have already made my choice. And that is why I vote “NO “ on the by law changes!

May 9th Rally against Privitization of Healthcare

Rally to stop GHI-HIP merger.

About The Healthy, Wealthy & Wise Seminar Series

My work around financial issues and pensions in particular came shortly about after our last contract as I took a course on pensions at Cornell. This was one of the two best classes of all the courses I have taken at Cornell (the other being Zita Allen’s media class.

Following the pension course I began holding financial workshops in an effort to help members better understand the power of our defined pension plan. Last year, a group of concerned workers in my department (Stations) asked me to join them in setting up some financial seminars.

So I am happy and thankful that after over two years of work that you the members are supporting my efforts. It is quite rewarding and humbling that so many of you from various departments have come out and spent over three hours discussing things that are important to you and your families. Also gratifying are the many positive comments and suggestions (like the ones below) that let us know this is something that was needed and desired. The topics discussed at the last seminar include credit repair, home buying, 401/457K plans, insurance, workers compensation, our defined pension plan from NYC and of course, the 20/50 bill (A05778).

Future workshops will include another Health Workshop seminar, similar to the last one which focused on diet, exercise, weight loss tips and techniques, strategies and nutrition.

What Members Have to Say:

• "This is a great thing, let's definitely keep this going and expanding."


• "Great - everything I wanted was covered.""Can't get enough information - thanks Marvin!"


• "Very informative. I appreciate the information and hope this continues. We need it."


• "Very good idea to inform members about the 20/50 bill."


• "Great workshop!!"


• "We really needed something like this; thank you so much for doing this."


• "Sign me up for the next one!"

What Does New Blue Ribbon Panel Mean for our 2009 Contract and the Future of Transit Workers in New York State?

On Thursday, January 17 2007, MTA Chairman Eliot Sander and TWU President Roger Toussaint announced a new blue ribbon panel with the purpose of improving labor relations between the MTA and TWU.

President Toussaint went so far as to say "I think we will resolve the next round of negotiations without a crisis," Toussaint said, calling the day a "milestone.”One has to wonder how Mr. Toussaint came to this conclusion as the stated mission of this panel is to assist MTA leadership in identifying ways to improve efficiency and address the current and future issues that impact the workforce so that the MTA’s mission and vision are achieved.

Nowhere are workers or TWU part of the mission.

The seven person panel, who will have a heavy influence over the lives of transit workers consists of former MTA Chairman Richard Ravitch, and long time labor mediator and arbitrator Hezekiah Brown as co- chairs. The panel also includes state Labor Commissioner Patricia Smith; MTA Chief of Staff Myrna Ramon; MTA board member Susan Metzger, who recently made news with her lack of respect for transit riders; Robert Paaswell, Director of the City College-based University Transportation Research Center, and Sonia Toledo. Also on the panel is Robert B. Catell, Chairman, President and CEO of Key Span Energy Corporation, who is one of Forbes highest paid CEOs (at over 12 million dollars in salary over the past five years.)

Some key items:
1. Workforce Development: There are 16 recommendations in this area of the report - only one of which deals directly with workers - that includes identifying additional training needs, and creating a committee to develop joint programs.
2. Development Succession: There are nine recommendations in this section of the report.
3. Employee Availability: There are 12 recommendations in this section of the report, most of which deal with employees.
4. Labor Management Relations: There are eight recommendations in this section, most of which are already in the contract in one form or the other.
5. Organizational Culture: There are sixteen recommendations in this section, most of which deal with employee recognition. The panel also calls for an MTA-wide culture, as each of the seven MTA agencies has its own unique organizational culture.

More on this topic: Read the report: Workforce Development Report
Opinions & Feedback: Does The Workforce Development Report Work for The Transit Worker?

M.H.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .

37th Annual Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Conference

The 37th Annual Black and Puerto Rican legislative conference took place in the state capital on February 15-17 in Albany NY with the theme of the annual caucus weekend being” embracing A United Workforce.”
Pictured: Donald Afflick, President NY Chapter CBTU; Marvin Holland, Editor, Homestation Online; Sadie Sanders; Charles Jenkins, NY Chapter CBTU/TWU-Local 100; Sally Robinson (seated).

The annual conference is one the premiere networking and education opportunities for unions and their members. This year the Home Station joined the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) at the conference. There was a buzz of excitement in the air throughout the weekend as the ultra competitive race for the Democratic presidential candidate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton was the talk of the weekend. As many of the New York states delegates and super delegates were in attendance (many of them Clinton supporters), the conversations centered around the Obama surge and his emerging front runner status.

The other major political talk was the Democrats opportunity to take control of the Senate for the first time since 1965 (which only lasted 9 months). By gaining just two more seats in the Senate, the Democratic Party can achieve the holy trinity of NY state politics by controlling both the legislative houses and the executive branch in the state of NY. It has been over a century since the Democratic Party has controlled the senate, assembly and governors offices. Chances look good to achieve this milestone, as some long time republican strongholds in upstate have shown strong signs of going democratic in this year’s elections. The Home Station staff met with officers from CBTU NYC Chapter while in Albany to prepare for the 2009 New York City elections.

Charles Jenkins, recently elected 2nd Vice President of their NYC Chapter, and a Vice Chairman in TWU Local 100, was on hand and pointed out that 2009 is huge year for New York City politics as you have the mayor, comptroller, public advocate and four borough presidents. Then you have 36 of 51 term limited city council seats, so 2009 will be major for local politics. Over the next couple of months, we will begin to break down and analyze the races for 2009.

[UPDATE: Since this article was originally posted, the democrats have picked up another seat, and are just one seat shy of taking over the Senate majority.]

Teachers Pension Bill Passes In Less Than One Month While 20/50 Bill Continues To Sit

In less than one month, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) was able to get their pension bill A9820 from the governmental employees committee to the Governors desk.

Now I understand that their bill was part of a negotiated contact packaged that included merit pay for teachers. But one can’t help but be impressed with the speed it moved through the various phases.

Their bill arrived at the Governmental Employees Committee on January 23, 2008, and by February 11th it had passed through the Ways and Means Committee where it progressed rapidly, landing on the Governor’s desk for signature on February 15th.

The TWU 20/50 bill arrived at the Governmental Employees Committee a year ago, on February 23, 2007. SIX MONTHS LATER, in June, it was finally reported to the Ways and Means Committee. Rather than progress, however, it sat there for ANOTHER SIX MONTHS, before finally being referred BACK to the Governmental Employees Committee, on January 9th, 2008, where it continues to sit to this date.

So our 20/50 bill moved backwards while theirs moved forwards. (see comparison chart; click on image to enlarge)

Some will attempt to argue that you can not compare different union contracts and pension improvements and I would argue just the opposite. Comparing two unions in the same city and the same pension fund under the same state laws, who are both seeking pension improvements for their members at the same time is the perfect comparison.

That teachers will go from a 62/30 pension to 55/25 pension is in fact very similar to Transit workers going from a 55/25 pension to a 50/20 pension. Both the teachers and the transit workers will pick up the costs of the pension improvements; teachers will pay an additional 1.85% and transit workers will have to pay an additional 6% . HomeStation will keep of the track the 20/50 bill in what we will call the 20/50 Bill Watch.

One thing is for certain: the rapid movement of the teachers pension bill through the legislative process versus our pension bill going backwards and then virtually dying in committee is a clear indication of which union has more political muscle in New York State. It is time for Local 100 leadership to end its silly internal infighting and begin to build some real political power in this city and state.

M.H.
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HIP-GHI Conversion Nearly Complete

On Tuesday, January 29th at the HIP headquarters in Lower Manhattan, so many people showed up for a public hearing that by 10:00 am the hearings were temporarily closed to the public. Those who wanted to enter the only public hearing being held in NYC had to wait up to six hours to testify. The majority were against the merger and conversion that would turn GHI and HIP from two separate non-profit entities into one for-profit company, EmblemHealth.
The President of the Medical Society of the State of New York, Dr. Robert Goldberg, who also testified at the hearings believes the conversion of the GHI-HIP insurance company would have a negative impact on patient care and payments to physicians.

This new company will be the largest single health plan in the state, with over four million members and $7 billion in revenue and would dominate the New York metropolitan area. In particular the municipal unions, as over 90% of their members will now be subscribers in this new company. The original merger began in 2005, but was blocked by the mayor until 2006. In November 2006, they were approved by state regulators to operate as affiliates under a governing foundation. While the union is known as EmblemHealth, the companies continue to function under their own names.

At the hearing it became clear that no one knows what the future holds for this new company. In particular, the billions of dollars that will be made when it becomes a private company. One group, New York City union leaders, want their members to become part of any profit sharing model. As Randi Weingarten, President of the UFT put it " .. We want our members, the dedicated city workers who are the real stakeholders who have contributed to the value of HIP/GHI for decades, to get a fair share of the proceeds should the HIP/GHI conversion to a for-profit move forward."

In the past, large company mergers have led to layoffs of long-term workers. To date, at least 160 union workers from HIP have lost their jobs due to this conversion. In addition, non-profits that convert to for-profit health organizations traditionally raise the prices for the cost of care. This is the reason most experts in the medical field believe single payer health care is the better way to go.

A second public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 31 in Albany.

M.H.
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Congestion Pricing: Who Speaks For Transit Workers?

By now most of you have probably have heard of Mayor Bloomberg’s plan NYC2030 which has two dozen transportation proposals, but the one that has gotten all the attention is congestion pricing. This means more commuters to a transit system that is already at capacity, and in desperate need of repair.



Both the public and the State legislation rejected the original plan of the Mayor’s which led to the creation of the New York City Traffic Congestion Mitigation Commission, a seventeen-member body directed to undertake a review and study of plans to reduce traffic, congestion and other related and health and safety issues within the city of New York. Our union leadership has supported the Mayor’s congestion pricing plan and continues to do so. Now even the biggest proponents of congestion pricing say that the system is currently unprepared to handle thousands of additional commuters.

The one thing no one -- including our union leadership Local 100 and the Mayor’s research staff -- has studied is the impact it would have on the transit workers. President Toussaint has not only endorsed the Mayor’s plan, he is now pushing the mayor and the MTA’s congestion pricing plan for them. In other words, our union is pushing a plan that would be a new tax on the working class, small business and at the same time increase our workload. He has made this decision not through research from our union but on the homework of the MTA.

Where are the researched reports and the studies conducted by the union? Why has congestion pricing not been on agendas for union meetings? Are we to believe that the Mayor and MTA are doing what’s best for local 100 members? To make matters worse, everyone knows that there are no guarantees that money generated will go only for mass transit. The other key here is how this will be funded, as congestion pricing is very expensive to set up and then to run, especially when you consider that we were all told that this congestion pricing plan would stop mass transit fare increases.

Something is really wrong when union leaders side with the ruling elite to add new taxes that will impact the working class. Make no mistake about, this is a tax on working class New Yorkers no matter what they try to call it. Although congestion is a problem, and the need for more funding for mass transit is critical, both the mayor’s original plan and the alternative plans by the commission are deeply flawed.

There are many groups, coalitions and individuals discussing the plan, both pro and con. The one thing that every one of these debates has in common is no one speaks for the transit worker. It is time that we get in on the debate, and until we know how this will impact every title in transit, I say we keep NYC Congestion Free.

READ MORE:
Transit Unions Split on Congestion Plans, Chief-Leader 1/18/2008

M.H.
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UPDATE ON 20/50 BILL (A5778)

January 14, 2008 A new bill was been introduced last year by Assemblyman Peter J. Abbate, Jr., which would allow employees of the New York City Transit Authority, who are members of NYCERS, to retire with a full pension after 20 years of service at the age of 50.

This new bill (A5778) was in the Ways and Means Committee when session closed in June 2007 in Albany at the state capital. This means it did not have a chance of reaching the Governor’s desk until sometime in 2008. Governor Pataki vetoed a similar bill back in 2004,but this new bill is cost neutral to the state, as it calls for an additional (6 percent) contribution from members who wish to opt into the 20/50 plan. The bill that was vetoed in 2004 called for a 5.5 percent increase. It was vetoed by Pataki for not being cost neutral.

Currently members can retire at age 55 after 25 years of service. If and when the 20/50 bill becomes the law current members will have option of remaining in 25/55, or may elect to enter into the new 20/50 plan. But all new members hired will be required to enter into the 20/50 plan, except those who are over 41 years of age at the time of hire, who may elected the 25/55 plan. As you can see, 20/50 is not being given to transit workers but will cost us an additional 6% of our salary. To put this in perspective, multiply whatever you are paying for the 1.5% (see healthplancont on your check or stub) by 4 and that will give you an idea of what 20/50 will cost you personally.

I am pointing this out to my fellow transit workers so we can begin to understand more about our pension plan and that we must pay for 20/50; it is not being given to us. And also to provide an awareness that we will need to prepare our finances if 20/50 is ever passed into law so we can actually take advantage of 20/50. We need to have detailed information at meetings about the 20/50 plan so all members understand exactly what is in the bill, and how it will impact them.

This lack of information along with dearth of questions is why I am putting this out to the membership, and why I made the 20/50 bill discussion a part of the Homestation Healthy, Wealthy and Wise Seminar Series™. There needs to be more education on pensions and the pension process under the Taylor Law. If 20/50 is important to you, remember it’s the state legislators and the governor who control the fate of 20/50. This means we must get politically active to move the 20/50 bill.

Have you written a letter to your assembly or state senator? How about visiting them in their offices where you live? This type of ongoing political action is what is needed to move our bills and to complement our annual lobby day. Next week, we will be covering exactly how you can contact your state legislators and the governor, along with sample letters and petitions to send to the capital.

What You Can Do Now:
Tell Us What You Think: Visit the Message Boards and join in the conversation on The 20/50 Bill.

M.H.
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AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Speaks at Cornell ILR School

On January 11, Arlene Holt Baker, the new Executive Vice President of the AFL-CIO, gave an informative and inspiring speech at the Cornell ILR School in Manhattan.

Ms. Holt Baker, who has been a union and community organizer for over thirty years, was approved by the AFL-CIO Executive Council on September 21, 2007 to be Executive Vice President, becoming not only the highest-ranking woman in the union movement but also becomes the first African American to be appointed to one of the three highest offices in the AFL-CIO.

Ms. Holt Baker began her union work with AFSCME and worked her way through the union ranks from organizer to international union director. In 1995, Holt Baker went to the AFL-CIO as executive assistant to the Executive Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson. As the first director of the AFL-CIO Voice at Work campaign in 1999, she launched an active movement to bring together community leaders, clergy members, farm workers and elected official and others in support of the workers’ right to form unions. After leaving the AFL-CIO for a couple of years to serve as President of the Voices of Working Families (a nonpartisan organization effort which registered thousands of women and people of color to vote), Ms. Holt Baker returned to the AFL-CIO in 2006 to lead the Gulf Coast Recovery effort.

In her speech Ms. Holt Baker was informative on the issues of immigration, healthcare, African American unemployment rates and the need to organize for the upcoming presidential election this year. Ms. Holt Baker pointed out the enormous challenges facing all working class people at this point in history. Ms. Holt Baker also talked about the plans for the AFL-CIO’s political and membership mobilization program, Labor 2008,which will be the largest political mobilization ever undertaken by the union movement with some 53 million dollars budgeted alone by the AFL-CIO for this election.

Her presentation was inspiring as she quoted Dr. King’s speech from the 1961 AFL-CIO convention, and reminded us all how the struggle for civil rights and workers’ rights were one and the same. She also noted that the only time that there has been change and progress in the United States is when people of diverse backgrounds have worked together. With Dr. King’s birthday approaching, it’s time we all recommit ourselves to the struggle for progress and change through the political process, community activism, union activism or whatever form of action you can take.

M.H.
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