Updated: The company now says the new dental insurance firm it has suggested, Guardian, has agreed not to cap coverage. We’re still looking into the proposal, and the Executive Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. next Thursday, July 12, to discuss it as well as other business including the impact of our returning colleagues. If you have input to offer on the dental coverage, please pass it along by next week’s meeting.

CLICK HERE for the list of Guardian covered Dentists in the Capital Region.

CLICK HERE for the full list.

The Company made a proposal Wednesday for a different health care provider to oversee dental care.

The dental coverage would be provided by Guardian, rather than Empire Blue Cross which has provided the coverage for more than 20 years. The estimated savings to members would be about $11 a year.

The offer was made to union leaders throughout the company, including Guild President Tim O’Brien and Vice President Lindsay LaFountain.

The insurance brokers from Rowlands & Barranca said that Guardian offers a broader network of dentists. If a dentist is not a member of the network, Guardian would still reimburse the provider directly whereas Blue Shield requires the employee to pay upfront and be reimbursed. The brokers also said Guardian offers a better discount.

O’Brien noted that the documents showed Guardian with an annual maximum of $2,500 whereas Blue Shield sets no limit on dental costs. The company said the cap was $2,500 for each member of a family, not $2,500 for a whole family. But the brokers said they had not yet been able to obtain information on how many, if any, workers would have reached the cap. The brokers said they believed they could get Guardian to drop the cap.

All the union leaders said that information was critical to making any decision, and the brokers said they would obtain and share that data. They also promised to get a list of participating dentists. O’Brien swiftly learned after the meeting his own dentist is not a participant and asked some additional questions as a result.

Guild members are encouraged to talk to their own dentists’ office, ask about whether they accept Guardian and whether they think the coverage and cost to the patient is better or worse than Empire. Please let your Guild leaders know what you think as we continue to review the proposal. The company stressed it was offering it as an optional switch, not one they were seeking to require.

You can find information on Guardian at its website, http://www.guardianlife.com/.

Join us at Maxie’s from 5 to 7 p.m. for appetizers and drinks. Guild officers will be there to answer questions about the recent agreement with Times Union workers who were illegally laid off and discuss where we go from here.

Free appetizers include: nachos, mozzarella sticks, potato skins, chicken wings and mac and cheese bites.

Guild members will also receive a ticket for a free drink.

Do you remember watching longtime colleagues as they were walked down to human resources and fearing it could happen to you too?
NOW IT CAN’T!

Final agreement on NLRB settlement means never again!

The final agreement to settle the National Labor Relations Board case was signed Tuesday. Three illegally laid off workers will return to their jobs in two weeks. All 11 will get financial settlements. The details are just as we said when the agreement in principle was reached. It took some time, because pension credits and health care costs had to be worked out, but we are glad to say it is finally done.

As part of the settlement, the company must sign and post a statement saying it will never, ever treat anyone that way again. It must bargain with the union in good faith over the criteria for layoffs done outside seniority.

Even if the company wishes to lay off by the last person hired, it must first negotiate a buyout with the Guild to save jobs.

This case is not just about the past. It is about your future.

But there is unfinished business…
The Hearst Corp. and its foundation
are very generous in the community.
With fewer people doing more work
for less pay, we deserve a raise!

The Guild received the results of a federal audit of its spending between Oct. 1, 2010 and Sept. 30, 2011.

The review looked back at a challenging year, when dues collection had been cut off and was restored. It was the year we sent out refund checks to boost the number of members in good standing. It came as we fought successful legal battles on several fronts.

And the federal audit cited only a handful of minor recordkeeping violations, all of which the Guild was advised how to solve. The auditor accepted the union’s assurances it would address those issues and required no further action.

The union took in receipts of $90,598, but the audit showed issues with only $326 in spending. All were cases where receipts were missing, though the union knew what each expense was. The biggest was $150 paid to Brown’s Brewing Co. in Troy, a donation for a party held in honor of longtime photographer Luanne Ferris when a disability forced her to retire. The union provided $48.55 in pizzas and soda from Inferno to members who had to work during the 2010 holiday party, but the receipt was lost.

There were two instances of lunches for a grand total of $73 where the receipt was misplaced. One was at the Gateway Diner when the union hosted International President Bernie Lunzer; the other was a meeting at Professor Java’s. Otherwise, the union had records documenting every penny. The union does not often buy lunches, but does sometimes when lawyers or International officials visit or if members agree to serve on a committee.

The Guild also was advised to revamp the form for lost time, which is when the union pays officers or members for time taken off from work for union business. The form the union had used for decades let people check off boxes to explain what they were doing: attending a conference, preparing for a meeting, or negotiations. The government advised that the forms should provide more details rather than a checklist of options. The union has already revamped the form.

The auditor also advised the Guild that its receipt records should include the date money was received. The records show the date the union deposited money and the date a check was issued to it. Again, that change has already been made.

The union also was told to be more timely in filing a two-page form with the federal government each year. The union has an independent financial review done every year, and we’ve relied on the firm to file the form. The auditor recommended the union file the form directly to guarantee its timeliness.

The auditor told Officer Manager Dan Roesser, treasurer during the audit period, that since he had successfully and accurately calculated the dues paid and refund to every member, he was very capable of completing the form himself.

“I want to extend my personal appreciation to CWA Local 31034 for the cooperation and courtesy extended during this compliance audit,” the auditor, Jennifer Rudewicz, concluded.

Click here for the full report. Feel free to contact any officer or the union office if you have any questions.

FREE to all Guild-covered employees.
Members can bring their immediate families; singles can bring a guest.

Burgers (both beef and veggie), dogs, chicken, ziti, salads, chips and fixings. Beer, wine, soft drinks, coffee, watermelon and desserts. Fun and games for all!

For tickets CLICK HERE!