Update: No action on union bid to bar health-care hikes
4:21 PM Thu, Aug 21, 2008 | Permalink
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PROVIDENCE -- A Superior Court judge made no decision this afternoon on Council 94's request to stop Governor Carcieri from carrying out health-care cost increases on unionized state employees. Judge Patricia Hurst held a status conference in her chambers for almost two hours on the request, which follows a decision by Hurst yesterday on a complaint filed against an executive order by Carcieri imposing the increases. Representatives of the governor's office and Council 94 are slated to be back in court at 2 p.m. Monday, according to Kernan King, the governor's chief legal counsel, who spoke to reporters outside court after the private meeting today. Council 94's lawyers declined to speak to reporters at the courthouse. In a statement from the judiciary, Judge Hurst reported there was "a discussion of the issues" and that attorneys will meet with her again Monday. Council 94, which represents the largest group of state employees, wants Hurst to stop the increases until after appeals are heard and any action is taken before the Rhode Island Labor Relations Board. The union said it is also seeking "clarification" on the ruling. "Council 94 intends to pursue all legal remedies available to protect the state employees from unilateral changes in their health care premiums," a statement from the union this afternoon said. In her ruling yesterday, Hurst told the Council 94 that it is up to the Labor Relations Board -- not the courts -- to decide whether Carcieri can, by executive order, force thousands of state employees who work for the executive branch to pay a greater share of their health costs, a move the governor has been counting on to save $10 million. But the judge yesterday flatly barred Carcieri for imposing similar increases on state workers employed by the other branches of government: the courts and state legislature. Those areas do not come under the governor's jurisdiction, she said, citing separation of powers. 
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At this point, Council 94 would be better off letting Governor Cancer deduct the healt care from the payroll. If Council 94 prevails, they should get the monies back with interest as penalty for his majesty violating law. If they lose the appeal, the members face an even worse payroll deduction to catch up. That would only add insult to injury since it is the lower paid worker who is getting slammed while the Governor, his cronies, Dept. heads, and the General Assembly get much better deals on health care.
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Isn't that nice that she flatly refused to allow him to upset the General Assembly or the Courts Healthcare but can the rest of the state offices.
Personally I think Unions have to be more reasonable. When I hear them whine come work in the real world where we get less benefits and have to pay alot more than what they are being asked to pay.
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WOW!!!! Isn't it funny how the judge barred the governor from not taking from the people who work at the courts and the legislature. Wake up people. Can't anyone else see the favoritism going on here? The judge says take from everyone else but not us. Well what makes the Judge any different from the rest of us state workers? She gets paid from the state just like us. If you ask me, the governor has all these Judges and labor board personel in his back pockets and are just protecting themselves. I personally think the governor should resign. I believe any idiot can do a better job than what he has done and I would be the first one in line to accept the challenge. The first thing I would do is impose on the rich, the governor, his cronies and the judges who sided with him the exact proposal he has given council 94. Lets see how they would like it.
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"Update: No action on union bid to bar health-care hikes" even the headline is skewed in favor of the union. Don't you feel that the government has to learn how to be run like a private business. Rather, the State relies on the "infinite" funds that can be simply accrued through increased taxes. Why do government employees get preferential treatment when it comes to funding healthcare. I am not old and jaded. I am under 30 and can see there have been countless "band-aids" placed over fiscal issues in RI. This is an opportunity to bring RI Government into the 21st century. The majority of RI citizens pay for a portion of their own healthcare. Why not the State employees? Are they that powerful? Kudos to the Governor for standing up for all of the privately employed RI citizens.
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The 'lower paid workers' Dan's term, are being asked to co-share at a rate of 8%, and the higher paid workers at a rate of 25%, you need to get your facts straight DAN (up at the top of the page) before you start opening up your mouth. Most of the taxpayers in this state --who are your EMPLOYERS after all, are co-sharing their Health Care at the rate of 15-25% themselves AND contributing to 401K's. So stop squawking and start living in the real world. It's 2008, and not 1954.
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