Your SEIU Local 668 State Contract Negotiation Team met on Wednesday to prep before we went back to the table with the Commonwealth for two additional days. We focused on providing the Commonwealth with an additional proposal centered around union involvement in improved training and employee retention. We also received the initial health and benefits presentation from the Commonwealth, and once again healthcare for active and retired members is under threat.
The State’s initial benefits plan is very concerning to the team, and while we haven’t responded to the Commonwealth yet, we have a number of questions that will need to be answered and will have to look at and discuss a large amount of data before moving forward. Now’s the time to begin sending a strong message to the Commonwealth that we’re serious when it comes to protecting our healthcare and retiree benefits. It’s time to step up and show the Commonwealth that we won’t accept a contract that takes away benefits for our members and our retirees.
Your Negotiation Team is coming together to meet with the Commonwealth again in two weeks, so if you have specific questions or want to share something with the team, please contact your Committee Chair directly. We’re looking forward to making more progress on your contract, but it’s important to keep wearing purple and talking up negotiations in your shop so we can prove to management that we’re a strong, united force. We’ll be ramping up mobilization efforts in the coming weeks, so holding additional shop meetings is highly recommended.
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