By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays USD 489 school board has accepted contracts from both of the custodians’ and teachers’ unions as of the this morning.
The board met in a special meeting this morning to accept the contracts. The board also voted to end its participation in the state insurance plan that is administered by Blue Cross Blue Shield in favor of an Aetna plan.
Insurance had been an issue in negotiations with both unions. The unions sent a letter to the school board on Aug. 28 saying leaving the state plan could leave the district open to legal action by the unions.
In the latest negotiations with the Service Employee International Union, which represents the custodians, the district was able to bargain the removal of specific language that required the district to provide the state plan.
The SEIU contract also included a 3 percent raise, adding language to the vacation and sick leave policy regarding leave start date and proration, and adding shift differentials.
Esau Freeman of SEIU said this morning by email, “SEIU has tentatively agreed on a contract with the school district. After extensively reviewing the information on the proposed health insurance changes, and securing a commitment that said the health plan will be equal to or better than the current state plan coverage we feel comfortable moving forward. We have always been open to the discussion of insurance benefits, and we are glad that we were able to come to an agreement that allows us to move forward willingly.”
The teachers ratified a contract last week.
“We are happy that the board voted to accept the tentative agreements that were brought forth to them from their bargaining team. As for the health insurance, we look forward to bargaining the health insurance benefits as set forth in the Professional Negotiations Act,” Kathy Rome of the Hays NEA said.
Kim Schneweis, teacher negotiations co-chair, added, “The teachers ratified the contract last week with a large majority in favor of the changes. I am glad the BOE also ratified the agreement. We have agreed to return to the bargaining table to discuss the health insurance benefits. We have always been, and continue to be willing to discuss important issues which affect our employees. The health care benefits impact hundreds of our employees and their loved ones. They also directly affect the ability of our community to attract and retain quality staff members for the benefit of our students.”
The district will be forming an insurance committee on the request of the unions, and the details of this will be worked out in the next several days.
The district proposed ending its participation in the state insurance plan after Blue Cross Blue Shield increased its premiums for the district by $1.4 million over two years. The district hopes the change will save the district money and give it more flexibility.
The district was having difficulty getting bids on its insurance policy, because the state plan does not require Blue Cross Blue Shield to provide claims histories.
The district will face a penalty for leaving the state plan, but Aetna has agreed to reduce its first-year premium, and the district believes that the fee reduction will be at least what the penalty will be.
SEIU and the Hays NEA both expressed concerns the district will not be able to rejoin the state plan for seven years after it leaves. However, Superintendent John Thissen has said the district could go back to Blue Cross Blue Shield if it wished under an independent contract.