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Administration’s First Offer Cannot Be Serious
FAMCO presented its healthcare platform to the administration in their first bargaining session last week. The administration’s first offer was waaaaay off the mark. Any increase in health benefits cost to any worker is unacceptable, particularly with inflation raging and COVID effects lingering all around. Overall, it seems like Monmouth University administration is using this as an opportunity to rewrite the university’s health benefits system and hope people won’t notice or care that they are worse offers. The table below outlines the offer:
FAMCO Healthcare Platform Administration’s Healthcare Proposal Plan Choice for All Plan choice in name only:
– Eliminates access to our current traditional PPO plan (“the Direct Access Plan”)
– Replaces the current high deductible plan (“the EPO plan”) with a ‘choice’ between two new plans of lesser value
– Both new plans have deductibles ranging from $500 to $3,000Out-of-Network (OON) Benefits for All ‘OON benefits for all’ in name only:
The high deductibles for out of network benefits in the proposed plans are too expensive to make seeking an out of network provider realistic. OON deductibles range from $1000 to $6000 and only apply after the in-network deductibles are already met.Lower Premiums for All Monthly premium costs increased for all, MORE so for faculty currently enrolled in the “EPO plan”:
– In 2023, the monthly premiums for faculty enrolled in the Direct Access family plan would increase as much as 8%. For people on the EPO plan, monthly premiums would increase 23% and family coverage would increase 33%.
– By 2024, the rate structure would have faculty contributing anywhere from 15-35% of the premiums depending on how many people their plan is covering.Oversight and Transparency for Healthcare Closes the key oversight and transparency channel
Eliminates the established FAMCO-administration Labor Management Committee (LMC) and, functionally, removes the ability to engage in regular formal discussions and information sharing between FAMCO (as the legal representative for healthcare bargaining for faculty) and the administration. Limits such meetings to a university-controlled healthcare “working group.”Control Over Escalating Costs Exacerbates escalating costs
Proposed costs escalate. Proposed costs would no longer be fixed each year, but tied to fluctuating claims costs that would make employee healthcare costs unpredictable (making budgeting unpredictable).Table comparing FAMCO’s healthcare platform and Monmouth University administration’s first offer In all, faculty will pay more for these proposed benefits, both in higher deductibles and higher contribution costs, and the fixed deductibles compound the problems the less you are paid.
Deductibles, in general, discourage people from seeking care, meaning people will not get things diagnosed, miss detecting problems early, or recover slower from problems needing monitoring and evolving care. This could be one way the administration hopes to keep costs down in the long run. However, delaying taking care of things like this makes them, in addition to more damaging, more expensive, both to faculty and, ultimately, the University as the health insurance provider. Specialist care, which is often out-of-network, will still be inaccessible due to the deductible structure, as well.
The message from the administration is loud and clear and, frankly, it’s not good. FAMCO is looking to build a roster of faculty from across the whole university to observe these bargaining sessions until they conclude. If you are interested in observing bargaining sessions, contact FAMCO at mu.famco@gmail.com.
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FAMCO to Host Student Debt Relief Clinic
FAMCO is inviting folks in the Monmouth University community to an AFT Student Debt Clinic webinar at 2:45 pm ET on Friday, September 23, 2022 to provide important information and free resources that can help you manage your student loans and apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
For too long, many in the Monmouth University community have been burdened with student debt, whether it be struggling to make monthly student loan payments because of how expensive it is or delaying big life events like marriage or buying a home because of the long-term drag of student debt.
The Biden administration announced big new changes that will allow many people to see as much as $20k in student debts erased, and The Department of Education has also made Public Service Loan Forgiveness more accessible than ever for public service workers just like you, but you must take action before October 31st to take advantage of some of these new rules.
Click here to register today! When you register, select “NEW JERSEY: Faculty Association of Monmouth University *WEBINAR* 2:45 pm ET 09/23/2022” from the “Student Debt Clinic” dropdown menu, and select “AFT New Jersey” in the affiliate field. Both fields will autofill once you begin typing.
Mark your calendar for the AFT Student Debt Clinic webinar at 2:45 pm ET on Friday, September 23, 2022, and check your Monmouth.edu email address for more info.
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First Bargaining Dates
It’s back to school season, and now it’s officially bargaining season too! Monmouth University administration has officially replied to FAMCO’s call to begin bargaining over faculty health benefits. FAMCO is calling for a SHIFT in Monmouth University health benefits: Sound Health Insurance for Faculty Today! Bargaining will begin on the following dates:
- Tuesday, September 20th
- Thursday, September 22nd
Keep an eye out here for more updates! If you are a FAMCO member interested in observing these OR future bargaining sessions, email mu.famco@gmail.com to let us know!
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FAMCO/OPEIU Joint Statement of Solidarity with NJ State Workers
ANY increase in health benefits costs to workers is UNACCEPTABLE. FAMCO and OPEIU stand in solidarity with NJ state workers (a fair amount of whom are public school teachers and state staff) in opposing the state’s proposed increases to state worker healthcare.
Join the rally September 13 at 12pm at the Statehouse Annex in Trenton or call the governor at 833.479.1993 and tell him “no increase in State Health Benefits contributions!” Details are below. A threat to workers anywhere is a threat to all workers everywhere.
With COVID-19 still disrupting lives and inflation sending cost-of-living expenses soaring upward, ANY increase in health benefits costs to workers is UNACCEPTABLE.
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The Clock is Ticking on Health Benefits
Monmouth University administrators say open enrollment starts November 14. Monmouth University needs a SHIFT before then–Sound Health Insurance for Faculty Today!
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Health Insurance Open Enrollment
ANY increase in health benefits costs to workers is unacceptable. COVID-19 is still disrupting lives and inflation is driving up cost-of-living as it is. The university claims it saved nearly $2M by moving to self-insurance (which FAMCO fought for), so why do university workers have to pay more for health benefits? It’s time for a SHIFT.
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Solidarity Forever and Happy Labor Day!
Greetings and Happy Labor Day!
You may remember FACMO submitted a proposed plan for faculty healthcare last Wednesday. With no response from Monmouth University administration, there is sadly no progress to report. The administration also keeps dragging its feet on verifying the figures that both save almost $2 million in healthcare costs but require premiums to increases 1.4%. To remind them, wear your FAMCO red shirt on Wednesday, September 7. Until then, IT IS LABOR DAY! And FAMCO hopes you are celebrating!
Always be kind to fellow workers, especially service workers who should be free to rest at home today. If you are donating your labor to finish preparing for classes starting tomorrow, take some time for yourself and your loved ones to rest and celebrate. Together, we can all fight for the dream of a day when everyone can work with dignity, when justice reigns, and when fear is banished because solidarity protects us all!
Remember to wear you red FAMCO shirts on this coming Wednesday, September 7! Happy Labor Day everyone!
Solidarity Forever!
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FAMCO Submits Healthcare Proposal to Open Bargaining with Monmouth University
On August 31, The Faculty Association of Monmouth University (FAMCO) submitted a healthcare plan proposal to reopen healthcare negotiations with Monmouth University Administration, proposing September 14th as the start of negotiations over faculty healthcare. FAMCO’s goal in negotiations is to secure quality, affordable healthcare for faculty by November 1st, when the enrollment period begins. FAMCO submitted a formal demand to bargain healthcare benefits earlier this month. Monmouth University has not responded to FAMCO’s formal demand to bargain with proposed dates to meet at the bargaining table, so FAMCO seeks to move the process forward by submitting their healthcare plan proposal to the administration today. Faculty want to get back to the bargaining table and settle healthcare, particularly as inflation drives up cost of living.
A FAMCO analysis during 2021 contract negotiations with the administration suggested that Monmouth University consistently overcharged employees for healthcare benefits. Faculty won a one-year freeze of healthcare costs and an agreement to re-open negotiations on healthcare before January 2023 to secure changes to health insurance that benefit faculty and their families. Soon after, the administration reported it saved nearly $2 million by moving to self-insurance in October 2021 at FAMCO’s suggestion. Given the savings, faculty, staff, and their families should not pay higher healthcare insurance premiums. As part of the 2021 agreement, FAMCO and Monmouth administration formed a Labor Management Committee (LMC) to gather research, share information, and prepare to draft healthcare plan proposals, including a more affordable direct access plan and a high-deductible plan with an out-of-network option, but University administration repeatedly dodged their obligation to provide FAMCO financial information verifying the itemized savings and costs that make up the approximately $2 million total healthcare savings and the planned premium increases of 1.4% reported by the administration. The administration also did not explain why they chose not to bid-out prescription drug coverage to get the lowest price. Without that information, it is unclear to FAMCO that Monmouth University is spending money responsibly.
FAMCO President Johanna Foster said, “our health insurance premium rates were on the incline for years until we negotiated a one-year freeze for 2022. With the administration’s announcement of nearly $2 million savings through self-insurance, there’s no reason our premiums should go anywhere but down.” FAMCO is also working with Monmouth office and professional staff, organized as OPEIU Local 32, who are equally ready for quality and affordable healthcare. Holly Davis, Chief Steward for the Local said, “We support FAMCO’s campaign to protect the physical and mental health, and also the financial health, of the faculty at Monmouth. OPEIU has made a demand to bargain healthcare with the same healthcare platform as FAMCO, and we are proud to stand in solidarity with our colleagues on the faculty. We know that as staff and faculty united, our good health ensures Monmouth’s good health.”
FAMCO eagerly awaits the administration’s response to the proposal. Keep mufamco.org bookmarked and follow @mufamco on Twitter for more updates as they happen!
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Sound Health Insurance for Faculty Today!
Welcome to the bargaining diary for the SHIFT FAMCO is demanding on behalf of Monmouth faculty: “Sound Health Insurance for Faculty Today!” (SHIFT). This page is your one-stop for updates on our ongoing work to secure more affordable and effective healthcare for Monmouth University faculty. Access to high-quality, affordable healthcare is high on the list of faculty concerns, and the crisis of the pandemic and inflation make affordable, accessible, and high quality healthcare that much more urgent. Below is a snapshot of where we’ve been and where we’re going with our healthcare work.
The Healthcare Faculty Need – For three years, Faculty representatives have shared Faculty’s healthcare concerns with administration (in regular labor management committee meetings about healthcare and in bargaining sessions). Monmouth Faculty have made it clear they and their families need 1) lower overall premiums, 2) an out of network benefit option for everyone no matter their plan, and 3) a choice between a high and no/low deductible plan for all faculty. This is particularly important because new employees can only choose the high-deductible plan.
The Healthcare Timeline – In October 2021 after FAMCO’s healthcare consultant provided an analysis suggesting that the administration has consistently overcharged employees for our healthcare benefits, FAMCO won a one year freeze of healthcare costs. We also won an agreement with the administration to negotiate healthcare before January 2023 to secure changes to our healthcare benefits program that benefit faculty and their families.
The Path to Better Healthcare – That agreement also established a Healthcare Labor Management Committee (LMC) in which FAMCO Faculty reps meet regularly with the administration to review healthcare costs, cost saving options (including drug costs), and new plan designs so we can prepare to negotiate healthcare changes before January 2023. Just last week, FAMCO initiated the formal demand to bargain healthcare plan changes and employee healthcare costs, expecting to begin on or around September 14th.
The Turn – Along that path, the administration has not made it easy for faculty to get better healthcare. FAMCO faculty on the LMC have repeatedly made information requests for relevant healthcare benefits data from administration so we can effectively understand the estimated healthcare costs for 2023 and bargain for faculty. The administration repeatedly made excuses about why they do not need to give this important information to faculty. Our concern is that the administration is using a delay-delay-delay strategy to avoid delivering the full range of information we need so that we are not fully informed about healthcare costs when we settle on 2023 healthcare, perhaps so the administration can pocket the savings of switching to self-insurance instead of sharing them with faculty and their families.
The Healthcare Faculty Deserve – Faculty deserve high quality healthcare at affordable costs. Given that Monmouth University has both overcharged faculty for healthcare, and has benefited from substantial savings by moving to self-insurance–among other changes–all employees at MU deserve to pay even less for healthcare than they did when FAMCO won a one-year rate freeze for faculty.
To Support This Fight: The summer heat is on! As you get your classes ready for September, keep an eye out here for updates on the SHIFT in faculty healthcare, including the date of our first bargaining session where you can turn out in your FAMCO red shirt to support our team as they fight to win the high quality and affordable healthcare that faculty deserve!
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Hello World!
Welcome to the Faculty Association of Monmouth University (FAMCO) blog! This is your one-stop for bargaining updates and announcements. Bookmark mufamco.org or follow our Twitter to get our updates as soon as they drop!
The Faculty Association of Monmouth University
Monmouth University Faculty for Academic Freedom
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The Faculty Association of Monmouth University 