Guild members will get a chance to ask questions about the proposed health-care plan at a meeting with the company’s insurance broker at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. A vote on the plan will be held from noon-2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15. Both will occur in the executive conference room on the second floor.

The company’s proposal involves a switch to a Blue Shield of Northeastern New York plan.

In most ways, the two plans are similar. The deductible will stay at $750, and the company will cover the rest of the deductible up to $2,000 for an individual and $4,000 for a family. Once that cap is reached, people will pay up to 10 percent of their medical costs with a cap again of $2,000 for an individual and $4,000 for a family. Medical expenses after that are fully covered.

The main difference with the Blue Shield plan is that rather than pay 10 percent for office, urgent care and emergency room visits, employees would pay a flat $20 for office visits, $50 for urgent care visits and $75 for emergency room visits.

In many cases, especially doctor visits, that flat fee might be more expensive than the 10 percent would be. Those payments, however, would be counted toward the cap under the 90/10 split. That means the maximum liability for an employee would not increase.

In addition, medications would also count toward the cap under the 90/10 split, which is not the case under the current plan. For members with chronic illnesses that require regular medication, this could lower costs a bit.

The out of pocket cost for the employee share would rise a little over $2 a week or $107 for the year.

Guild members approved a buyout offer Thursday, and those who wish to take it have until next Friday to apply.

The vote was 51-3, with turnout heavy among editorial employees, who are being targeted for the buyout, and light from other departments.

The offer includes three weeks of pay for every year of service, with a minimum of 15 weeks’ pay and a maximum of one year’s income. People would receive health care for the same period. Those who opt out of health care would get 15 percent of the net premium, prorated based on the number of weeks’ pay and minus a 21 percent share of the costs.

Employees who take the buyout would not have to pay the $750 health care deductible, and their share of the health care costs would stay at 21 percent.

The company has agreed not to challenge claims for unemployment.

Publisher George Hearst has said he is looking to trim six to nine positions, with editorial and exempt employees being the focus of the reductions. Exempt managers also have been given until next Friday to apply. Guild-covered employees in other departments can apply but Hearst has said those are not the targeted areas.

Guild members who are thinking of retiring should ask Carole Hess for an estimate of what their pension would be.

The company has the right to decide who is given the buyout. Members who apply do have a window in which they can change their minds. The Times Union has said it wants the workers to leave by December 31 to be off the books for 2012.

Carole Hess will send out an email to employees with information and an application form.

Guild members will vote Thursday on a proposed buyout.

The vote will be held from noon to 2 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. upstairs in one of the executive conference rooms.

The terms of the deal are three weeks of pay for each year of service, with a minimum of 15 and a maximum of one year. The Guild tried to offer an added benefit for senior employees, but the company declined.

A person who takes the buyout would receive health care for the same time period.

The Times Union did agree to cover the $750 health-care deductible for workers who take the buyout and to keep their share of health-care costs at 21 percent. The Company also agreed to allow people who decline the health care coverage to receive 15 percent of the net premium or $3,492.15, which will be pro-rated based on the number of months of pay.

The deadline for people to apply for the buyout will be Friday, Nov. 11. Those who receive the buyout would be expected to leave by year’s end.

The company has said it is looking to cut six to nine positions total in editorial and among the exempt ranks. While people in other departments can apply for the buyout, the Times Union has said it is aimed at editorial workers.

To vote on the buyout package, you must be a member in good standing. The vote is open to members in all departments covered by the Guild.

You can read the terms of the buyout here.

The Guild and the Company are hoping to get a proposal on a buyout to members Tuesday for a vote.

The final offer has not yet been determined, but the basic outlines are in place. Those who take it will be paid three weeks for every year of service, with a minimum of 15. The Guild proposed the maximum be bumped up from 52 to 62 weeks, which would match contractual severance.

Health insurance would be provided for the same period.

The union dropped its proposal to eliminate the early retirement penalty. Instead, the union proposed that employees with 25 or more years of experience get an extra $15,000. The reason is that employees at that point in their careers would likely be retiring, not moving to a new career, and the extra cash would help make up for a loss in pension income (and a likely reduction in Social Security) from retiring before 65.

Twelve editorial employees have that much experience. There is precedent for this approach, as the company offered added cash to senior employees during a 2008 buyout.

The company has said it is looking to eliminate six to nine positions between exempt employees companywide and Guild-covered jobs in editorial. An offer was sent to exempt workers this week, and the company is asking for the Guild to agree to the same November 9 date for applications to be submitted.

The company has said workers in other departments can apply, but there is no guarantee anyone would get it. Those who do would leave the company before January 1.

The Executive Board will meet briefly Friday once the company finalizes its response to set hours for the vote. The plan is to offer voting both at lunch time and later in the evening for night-shift workers. The company has agreed to allow us to use a conference room for the voting.

The Guild again urges anyone who is thinking about the buyout to see Carole Hess for a calculation of what their pension would be.

We will provide details as soon as we can.

Discussions on the proposed buyout will resume at 3 p.m. Thursday.

The Guild committee has been reviewing data on the makeup of the editorial department. We examined the age and length of service of our members and calculated multiple examples of what retiring could mean to workers.

For many, retiring now could mean a loss of $3,000 to $4,000 a year in pension income as well as a reduced Social Security payout.

The department has 19 members who would be affected by the company’s proposed cap of one year’s severance. We have 12 members with 25 or more years of service.

To prevent layoffs among our newest members, we’re hoping the company will agree on some way to enhance the buyout for our longest-serving colleagues.

Any employee who is considering taking a buyout should ask Human Resources Director Carole Hess for a calculation of their pension benefits.

The members of the committee bargaining the buyout are President Tim O’Brien, Chief Steward Brian Nearing, Vice President Jeff Boyer and page designer Gillian Scott.

Once a buyout agreement is reached, a membership meeting and voting time will be scheduled.