Municipal Health Insurance

What is the status of the health insurance bill?  I remain very concerned that this will be done in a way that allows municipalities to make unilateral changes in negotiated labor agreements — I gather that such a power is in fact a provision of the Senate bill, but NOT of the House bill.

Groups from diverse perspectives — the Boston Foundation, Stand for Children, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation — are pushing for change in municipal health insurance. I think that the legislature is really beginning to focus on making something happen and I am starting to be hopeful that we’ll have a bill this spring.

I am responding to some comments I have seen here and also thinking about today’s Globe editorial on this topic. As a teacher and committed union member I think the recent spate of comments about teacher unions are WAY off as a generalization.  I do not dispute that some unions are stubborn about health costs …

Continue reading “Municipal Health Costs and Teachers’ Unions”

Hi Will, Thx for your request for comment. Having spent 6 years in public office locally, I believe this bill is unlikely to be in our best interests as a Commonwealth.  Since  town and city govt’s are essentially at an impasse with organized labor, most notably teacher unions, the bill only postpones the inevitable.  As …

Continue reading “Opposed to Lawrence support bill”

I have decided to co-sponsor a controversial health care cost control bill authored by the Massachusetts Municipal Association.

Comments and testimony regarding the movement of municipal employee health plans into the group insurance commission.