PT hired in late OCT. Confused about contract impact on MY medical benefits

[geriatric handler?]

Keep getting different answers from different people @ my local and in my hub. bottom line- nobody has a clue and they're just guessing. Does anyone here actually know...

In my local, it's 72 working days to seniority- early february, for me. It's my understanding that the new contract, insofar as PT employee's health care, went into force on 1.1.2008. Some say my medical will be same as always (same 3 choices, with the Teamsters self-funded indemnity run by blue cross being the most selected). Others say that i am under the new national plan that nobody knows squat about. others say i now have to wait a year for medical per the new terms.

anyone know what the truth is. better yet, can you point me to information that i could show my local so i can prove it. i only took this job for benefits; and, sadly, this new contract sure doesn't smile on us PT package handlers....

thanks.

 

[JonFrum]

Confused Geriatric Handler,

I believe I can add to your confusion.

Article 34 - Health & Welfare and Pension
Section 2—Part-Time Medical Coverage

Part time employees covered by a Teamster Health and Welfare Fund will continue to be covered by those funds.

(a) Notwithstanding Section 1(d) above, effective January 1, 2008 health and welfare coverage for all part-time employees on the payroll at that time and those hired thereafter will be provided pursuant to the terms of an Employer sponsored nationwide health care plan, namely, the UPS National Health Plan for Part-Time Employees. (A copy of the Summary Plan Description will be provided.) Features of the plan will include a prescription card. This paragraph shall supersede any provisions on the same subject in any Supplement, Rider, or Addendum, including those Supplemental provisions which require part-time benefits to be equal to or the same as full-time medical benefits.

(b) Notwithstanding Section 1(d) above or any contrary provision in any Supplement, Rider, or Addendum, (i) individual health coverage will be made available to part-time employees hired after August 1, 2008 after twelve (12) months of active employment and (ii) spousal or dependant coverage will be made available to these part-time employees eighteen (18) months after their initial date of employment.

You can view the changes to the UPS National Master Agreement, that the above language is taken from, here: http://teamster.org/divisions/package

When my Local held its meeting to present the proposed contract to us just before the balloting, my President said that part-timers in New England would not be effected by the above language change. She even showed us a document signed by a UPS negotiator that said New England part-timers would keep their existing health care arrangement. Nothing would change. I believe her, but unfortunately, as usual, the contract language is not clear.

The old master contract, by the way, is here:
http://www.browncafe.com/community/threads/ups-teamsters-national-master-agreement.335360/

 

[dillweed]

More confusion for you.

Many, of not all locals have a supplement to the master agreement that applies to them only. Although the master agreement may be accepted the local supplements are not yet agreed upon. If I'm not mistaken, these supplements overide the master agreement. Therefore you may have to wait and see what your local supplement says.

Not sure if I'm speaking fact here but it's the way I understand it. Our local is still taking suggestions for our supplement and it will not be settled for some time.

If anyone has input here please let it fly. Don't want to mislead anyone, especially one who is new and has a valid question.

 

[JonFrum]

More confusion for you.

Many, of not all locals have a supplement to the master agreement that applies to them only. Although the master agreement may be accepted the local supplements are not yet agreed upon. If I'm not mistaken, these supplements overide the master agreement. Therefore you may have to wait and see what your local supplement says.

Not sure if I'm speaking fact here but it's the way I understand it. Our local is still taking suggestions for our supplement and it will not be settled for some time.

If anyone has input here please let it fly. Don't want to mislead anyone, especially one who is new and has a valid question.

Dillweed,

The National Master and all of its regional Supplements and Riders was finally ratified, and is in full force as of December 19, 2007.

However, there are two other (seperate) Teamster bargaining units at UPS: Local 705, and Local 710. They haven't voted on a new contract yet.

 

[geriatric handler?]

Confused Geriatric Handler,

I believe I can add to your confusion.



You can view the changes to the UPS National Master Agreement, that the above language is taken from, here: http://teamster.org/divisions/package

When my Local held its meeting to present the proposed contract to us just before the balloting, my President said that part-timers in New England would not be effected by the above language change. She even showed us a document signed by a UPS negotiator that said New England part-timers would keep their existing health care arrangement. Nothing would change. I believe her, but unfortunately, as usual, the contract language is not clear.

The old master contract, by the way, is here:
http://www.browncafe.com/community/threads/ups-teamsters-national-master-agreement.335360/

thanks for the links and quote. one thing seems certain: the 12 month delay does NOT apply to me, so that's good news. beyond that though, yeah... clear as mud! how UPS and the teamsters thought that a change of this magnitude would become effective a month after it was ratified, is ridiculous. putting that 1.1.2008 effective date was stupid- especially when the existing contract had another 8 months- enough time for them to get their together. i just hope this doesn't delay the start of my benefits.

thanks for the input- i appreciate it....

 

[dillweed]

JonFrum, thanks. I'm 710 and that supplement is in Greek.

 

[geriatric handler?]

Dillweed,

The National Master and all of its regional Supplements and Riders was finally ratified, and is in full force as of December 19, 2007.

However, there are two other (seperate) Teamster bargaining units at UPS: Local 705, and Local 710. They haven't voted on a new contract yet.

are you also in 705 or 710 (you say your plan did NOT change)?!? since i'm not in 705 or 710, i guess it's in force for me too. none of the part timers w/seniority i've spoken to in my hub think their insurance has changed (not because they 'know', but because they haven't been told otherwise).

the lack of clarity in my hub seems logical. again, given that it went into force on 12.19 and supposedly (magically) UPS was able to spring into action immediately and change 100,000+ PTers from their assorted local union plans to the UPS National Plan in those 12 days between the 12.19 and 1.1.2008 (not to mention xmas and new years! seems, ummm... unlikely. not to mention standing agreements between the teamsters and other health plans (i would imagine they require more than 12 day's notice to lose a chunk of their business like this!).

any part timers who have received any actual info or who've been switched over to the UPS plan, PLEASE chime in...

thanks.

 

[iowa boy]

handler,

here in the middle of the country, our insurance took effect Jan. 1. We had our new summary plan books and cards by the end of the first week in January. We had the option of two different plans to choose from and if we didn't choose we were defaulted to the old plan that was in force. We were notified via a PCM the first week of December that our insurance was gonna change and there were certain steps we had to take to change over to the new coverage.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

It is my understanding that the current contract does not expire until July 31, 2008, with the new contract taking effect Aug 1, 2008. Contract ratification simply means that the contract has been approved by a majority of the members who voted and has been approved by the Teamsters.

 

[geriatric handler?]

handler,

here in the middle of the country, our insurance took effect Jan. 1. We had our new summary plan books and cards by the end of the first week in January. We had the option of two different plans to choose from and if we didn't choose we were defaulted to the old plan that was in force. We were notified via a PCM the first week of December that our insurance was gonna change and there were certain steps we had to take to change over to the new coverage.

thanks for the post- certainly seems like certain locals are more on the ball than others

did this change just your medical, or did your dental and vision change too?

thanks.

 

[geriatric handler?]

It is my understanding that the current contract does not expire until July 31, 2008, with the new contract taking effect Aug 1, 2008. Contract ratification simply means that the contract has been approved by a majority of the members who voted and has been approved by the Teamsters.

actually, most the the new contract went into effect on 1.1.2008- the teamsters, in a rush to cram this thing down our throats, agreed to forgo the last 8 months of the old contract. too bad most part timers don't vote/don't look into things- this contract would have never been approved.

just goes to show, that you, like me, haven't heard word one about the changes from your local. pretty lame. not quite sure what i'm paying my $350 initiation fee and dues for- they keep us in the dark and they certainly weren't looking out for part timers when they negotiated this give away contract...

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I stand corrected on the contract start date. BTW, not that it matters, but I am not a part-timer. I am a full-time pkg car driver w/19 yrs of service.

 

[govols019]

Did you vote on this contract? If so, how could you not know it went into effect 1/1/2008? It was right there in the contract.

 

[JonFrum]

Look at the top of the Contract Changes that were sent to you with your ballots. It says, "For the Period Upon Ratification, 2007 through July 31, 2013."

Ratification occurred when the five remaining Supplements/Riders were finally passed on the second try, after negotiating a better deal (!), on December 19, 2007. Various clauses have later implementation dates, but the entire contract was in full effect on Dec. 19, 2007.
- - - - -
Geriatric Handler, I'm in Local 42 Lynn, Ma. and am covered by the New England Supplement. Locals 705 and 710 are big locals in the Indiana/Illinois area. Their contracts are negotiated and voted on seperately than all the rest of us.

 

[Lobofan5]

JonFrum, thanks. I'm 710 and that supplement is in Greek.

Don't you mean...Geek?

 

[hondo]

Another item to clear up, and this you should be able to get an answer to locally. Once you achieve seniority (in Feb.), what will your seniority date be? The Feb. date or the Oct. date you started as a permanent (not seasonal) employee. Here in 705 it's the date you started. An Oct. date would seem to put you under the old 3 options, Feb. date the new national plan. Or am I missing something here?