Shasta County General Unit July Meeting

Monday, July 18, 2011

Twenty-four (24) members of the Shasta County General Unit attended the meeting held on July 11, 2011. We had a lengthy discussion about the Joint Information Forum (JIF) that had been held on July 6, 2011 which discussed our current PERS health insurance plan versus the CSAC Excess Insurance Authority. The bottom line is that PERS health insurance will be cheaper than the CSAC EIA plan in the 2012 year. The County has made it clear that they would like to move away from the PERS health-care plan which would give the County more flexibility, especially as it involves the retirees health insurance coverage. There are over 900 retirees taking the health insurance and about fifty percent are under the age of sixty-five, and thus get 100% of their insurance paid.

A question was raised at the JIF meeting that PERS health insurance might be artificially keeping their premiums lower by using reserves. The PERS representatives admitted that reserves were used, however, only the percentage of reserves that would be beyond what they felt would be sufficient to operate successfully. Remember if a public entity leaves PERS health insurance they must stay out for a minimum of five years.

The membership present asked that the next meeting be changed to a Tuesday evening. There was also a request that Steve Allen be asked to attend our next meeting to answer some questions about the negotiations that will begin for the contract expiring April 30, 2012.

We will notify the members of the next meeting by e-mail at their work-site and also at their home address by postcard. If you are not receiving these notices, and you are a Union member, please contact Patti Wyatt at 245 1890 extension 100.