Luzerne County union workers reach 12% health insurance contribution benchmark

With a new collective bargaining agreement added to the mix, workers in nine of Luzerne County government’s 10 unions will be paying at least 12% toward their health insurance next year.

The remaining union, which covers prison workers, will increase from 10% to 12% a year later, or in 2022, although newer unionized correctional workers hired since the start of this year already are at that higher percentage, a review of contracts show.

Prior county commissioners started requiring non-union county employees to pay 10% toward their health insurance in April 2004, launching a push to gradually transition the unions to percentage payments as their agreements expired.

County Manager C. David Pedri said the administration has made the movement of unions to increasing percentages a priority in negotiations.

He plans to assess switching non-union workers to a higher percentage once all union workers are at 12%, or for 2022.

The issue of non-union benefit contributions is usually raised during budget discussions. With council members already predicting a challenging 2021 budget planning season this fall, it’s unclear if raises for non-union workers will be proposed or considered. If not, there likely would be strong resistance to raising the non-union insurance contribution for 2021.

While union workers usually receive pay increases annually through their contracts, the granting of raises to non-union workers is determined each year through the budget process.

Generally speaking, Pedri said “all options are on the table as usual” in the budget.

What’s the difference between 10 and 12% for the county’s Highmark HMO coverage?

In 2020, employees are paying these amounts every two weeks at 10% or 12%, records show:

• Single: $30.47/$36.56

• Employee/spouse: $85.30/$102.36

• Employee/child: $60.93/$73.12

• Employee/children: $76.16/$91.40

• Family: $94.44/$113.33

Latest addition

The most recent contract was enacted through binding arbitration for assistant district attorneys and public defenders.

Under the new contract, their contributions rose to 12% on Sept. 1 for all current members and 15% for employees hired after that date. All workers in the union will pay 15% starting Jan. 1, 2022.

Most unions already were at 12% contributions.

In addition to assistant district attorneys/public defenders hired after Sept. 1, newer workers in several other unions are already at the 15% contribution level, including:

• Court-related employees hired after May 1, 2013

• Court-appointed support workers hired since the start of 2016

• Residual workers hired since the beginning of 2014

• Probation and domestic relations support officers hired after Jan. 1, 2020

• Human service workers in Mental Health/Developmental Services, Children and Youth and the Agency on Aging hired on or after March 27, 2018

Based on the current 2020 amounts, these are the contributions every two weeks for employees at 15%: single, $45.70; employee/spouse, $127.96; employee/child, $91.40; employee/children, $114.25; and family, $141.67.

Overall, the county has budgeted a $20.75 million expense for health care this year and $8.5 million in reimbursements on the revenue side.