SEIU Local 105

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Letter from Bargaining Committee Recommending a Yes Vote

UNION BARGAINING COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS A ‘YES’ VOTE

Hello, bargaining unit coworkers!

First of all, we appreciate your support and participation during this process. From electing us to filling out bargaining surveys to emailing us with ideas and questions, you have given us much. We have taken this responsibility very seriously and strove to accomplish the priorities you indicated.

This was a difficult year to bargain given the financial crisis. Using a more collaborative negotiating process called interest based bargaining, we were able to focus on our fundamental common interests: prevent layoffs, preserve services for consumers, provides raises, and maintain quality health insurance coverage.

MHCD’s funding in the future is uncertain with the decrease in Colorado’s tax revenues. With unemployment nearly double of what it was a year ago, state income tax revenues will be way down this coming year. In addition, the slowdown in consumer spending has led to a decline in state sales tax on a year over year basis for the past four months. This means that the state will have less money for all line items. MHCD and SEIU together will lobby the state very hard for MHCD funding but and we will be extremely lucky if MHCD does not have any funding cut.

Despite signs of deflation in many prices, health insurance costs continue to soar for MHCD and all employers. We worked very hard to balance our desire to maintain quality, affordable health care coverage with the reality that some cuts in benefits had to be made to preserve MHCD’s solvency. We sought changes that would save MHCD money without significantly harming its employees. Under the previous plan, the net cost per employee was just over half of what MHCD’s health insurance broker recommends. We believe that even with these changes, MHCD’s plan remains more generous than other employers’ plans. We also changed as few benefits as possible and focused on maintaining or only slightly increasing 2008 co-pays for the most used benefits.

Given the economic situation, we were not able to make to many improvements to wages, health insurance, and time off without risking significant layoffs in the near future. However we worked hard to ensure that every penny that MHCD had to spare went towards the economic package for its bargaining unit employees.

Furthermore, we were able to achieve many significant contract language improvements. While these changes do not cost MHCD anything, they do contain improvements to your working conditions including your own job security.

This package proposal also improves the operations of our Labor-Management and Quality of Care Committees. Continuing in the spirit of interest based bargaining, we are confident that these changes will enhance the work of the committees and bring union members and management together more effectively. We all share interests in making MHCD a better place to work and a better place to receive care. If you are interested in participating in either of these committees, please let us know.

Finally, since this contract is only a one year agreement, we have an opportunity to return to the bargaining table in less than one year’s time and try again for improvements we would like to see, hopefully in a more positive economic climate.

For all these reasons, we recommend a yes vote on this tentative agreement.

Again, we appreciate your input and interest in the negotiations. It has been a pleasure to represent you. Please contact us with any questions.

In solidarity,

SEIU Local 105 Bargaining Committee

Jon Christianson, Vine, 303-504-1052

Emily Farner, Clermont, 303-504-1224

Sherry Holly, 2Succeed, 303-504-1718

Mary Ann Pryor, Second Street, 303-765-2480

Ann Wallace, Ash House, 303-377-3607 (Home)