Leaders of the unions representing employees of the Times Union met with the company Friday to get a look at health-care options for next year.

The company’s consultants, Rowlands & Barranca, said Blue Shield had first come to the table with a 24 percent increase in costs next year. The brokers and Blue Shield negotiated and brought that increase down to 12.7 percent.

One way that was done to eliminate a small vision benefit the company said only one Guild member used because it was available at a limited number of places. Under the Guild contract, the company provides its own reimbursements for contact lenses and eyeglasses that would be unchanged.

The parties are looking at three different options.

Right now, Guild-covered employees pay 23 percent of health care costs, less than some of the other unions’ members. When the company imposed conditions in 2009, that was the top percentage imposed and it cannot be increased further without agreement.

For members, that cost is now $37.76 a week. To keep the current Blue Sheild plan minus the vision benefit, that cost would rise to $51.71 next year, up $13.94. Under that scenario, the deductible would remain $750.

The second, and least appealing option, was to raise the employee deductible  from $750 to $1,000. That plan would still require employees to pay 10 percent of their medical costs once they acquire $2,000 in medical bills for an individual plan or $4,000 for a family plan. It would still have a cap on employee’s liability once they hit that 90/10 split of $2,000 for an individual plan and $4,000 for a family.

Under that option, the weekly contribution would be $50.45, up $12.69. While that increase is smaller, for most members the higher deductible would make this a more expensive option.

The final option presented also included raising the deductible from $750 to $1,000. Under that choice, however, people’s liabilities would drop to $1,500 for an individual plan and $3,000 for a family plan. The maximum liability under that 90/10 split would similarly drop to $1,500 and $3,000 rather than the current $2,000 and $4,000.

If we go with that option, the weekly contribution would rise to $51.22, up $13.46.

The question the unions need to decide is which option the majority of members would prefer. The Guild thinks there are arguments to be made for the first option — keeping the deductible at $750 — and for the third option, raising the deductible to $1,000 but lowering the total liability.

The company is crunching some numbers for the unions on how many people ended up paying the maximum last year.

The Guild’s Executive Board plans to meet at 12:30 p.m. Monday in the cafeteria to discuss how to proceed. Before any decision is made, we will call a membership meeting so you can talk to us directly.

Guild members today delivered the Halloween card our members signed last week.

Inside, the card said “Another year without raises? That’s scary!”

The presentation to Publisher George Hearst was the latest step in our mobilizing effort to make clear that a contract and raises are desired by all members. It’s not just the Guild leadership that wants to see us get a contract that offers flexibility on layoffs and outsourcing without giving the company the blank check it has demanded.

Members Cathleen Crowley and Bill Federman delivered the card to the publisher on behalf of the membership and spoke to Hearst about the members’ support for a fair settlement.

Come to the cafeteria from 12:45 to 1:15 pm today and get a free goodie bag.

You can also sign a very special Halloween card.

If you work the graveyard shift, we’ll drop by the newsroom at 7 p.m. with some goodies for you.

The company chose to accept two buyouts of Guild members, but it is not using the savings to keep a well-respected photographer.

Instead the newspaper will fill a reporting position.

A page designer in editorial and a district manager in circulation had their buyout offer accepted.

Despite that savings, the company chose to let go a photographer originally given notice two weeks ago at the same time as Editorial Cartoonist John de Rosier.

“We are certainly glad to see a reporter hired to replace Dayelin Roman,” Guild President Tim O’Brien said. “But we had hoped our negotiation of a buyout and finding two willing takers would enable the photographer to keep his job.”

Instead of losing two members, the Guild finds itself losing four and gaining back one.

A manager who also sought the buyout did not have his request accepted, the company said.

Hoping to prevent a photographer from being laid off, Guild members approved a buyout offer Thursday.

One employee has already notified the company of an interest in the buyout. The person has a similar number of years of experience, and the cost and benefit to the company would be similar.

The vote was 45-1, with almost all of the ballots understandably being cast by editorial employees.

Interested members have until 5 p.m. Friday to apply at the Human Resources office.

An exempt manager also commented on the Guild’s blog, asking if supervisors were being allowed to apply and expressing a willingness to take in order to save a job.

The union asked Human Resources Director Ruth Fantasia, who said the offer had not been extended to exempt workers but they were welcome to contact her about their interest. The union informed the manager who had inquired about her response.

“While we hate to lose any more employees, the Guild certainly prefers to see people leave voluntarily rather than be forced out,” Guild President Tim O’Brien said. “The photographer who has received notice is a great talent, known for his great care and dedication in producing images for the newspaper. With a new press about to come on line that will allow color on every page, his work would be a great asset to the paper. He has the strong support of his colleagues, who are pulling for him to be able to stay.”