Providence Business News reports big cuts to wages and health care in the Laborers’ International Union of North American Local 1033’s–the biggest union in town–new contract with the city. Remember, lower wages and inaccessible health care for union workers means lower wages and inaccessible health care for everyone who works for a living:
The City of Providence said changes were made to prevent layoffs and maintain job, financial and retirement security for employees (including an 8-percent wage increase over the next 37 months), and are seen as a big step forward in public-employee labor negotiations, according to Mayor David N. Cicilline. With other union contracts coming up, the new deal may serve as a model. . . .
One change that will have an impact on union workers is an increase in health-care cost co-sharing, which will nearly double over the next four years. Individuals’ cosharing will jump to $1,000 per year from $400, while family plans will see an increase to $1,900 from $900.
I know there’s a recession on and we’re all suffering, but I can’t help but wonder why Cicilline and some of his well paid staffers, who make six figures, aren’t stepping up to cut their salaries and take their share of the pain.
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i work for the laborers’ union in providence and i can’t agree with you more about the stuffed shirts on the hill. it’s easy to make benefit cuts when they don’t involve you.
we took part in the building of the providence place mall, the gtech headquarters, the westin, and even waterplace park and this is how we are placed?! it’s a shame.