New Agreement on Employee Health Care Costs

On September 14, 2022, the Statewide Council of New Jersey State Locals - AFT and four additional Unions representing State employees signed an agreement with the State of New Jersey concerning employee costs for health care. The agreement ameliorates the proposed drastic increases threatened by the State in employee contribution rates. 

On July 13, Aon PLC, a risk management firm hired by the State of New Jersey, presented an actuarial analysis to the New Jersey State Health Benefits Commission (SHBC) recommending a 21% increase in health care plan premiums for NJ State employees and a 24% for local government employees. The SHBC, which sets the premiums of our plans, includes three representatives of the governor’s administration and two public employee labor representatives.

 

In response to Aon’s proposal, Unions representing both State and local government workers almost immediately came together to fight the proposed increase. For the first time, five Unions representing State employees (AFSCME, AFT, CWA, IBEW, and IFPTE) chose to negotiate collectively any changes in employee health care costs. During the negotiations process, these Unions were threatened that, if an agreement with the State was not reached by September 14, an 18% increase in employee premium contribution rates would be imposed. After multiple daily meetings over two weeks, the Union coalition concluded negotiations with the State, just hours before the deadline.

 

For those employees in Units covered by this agreement, increases in health care plan costs that will become effective January 1, 2023 consist of: (1) Plan contribution rates, (2) Copays for specialist visits, and (3) Copays for urgent care.

 

Contribution Rate Increase

Effective January 1, 2023, employee contributions for the NJ Direct and NJ Direct 2019 plans shall increase by 3%. The employee contribution for those enrolled in the Tiered Network plan shall be 75% of the new NJ Direct plan contribution rates.

 

For our members in the NJ Direct and NJ Direct 2019 plans with an annual salary less than $75,000, the employee contribution rate is presently based on a percentage of annual salary. For example, an employee in the single plan with an annual salary of $70,000 per year, now pays 4% of annual salary, which is $2,800 ($70,000 x 0.04 = $2,800). The cost in January 2023 will be 3% greater than $2,800, which is $2,884, an $84 annual increase.

 

For those in the NJ Direct and NJ Direct 2019 plans with an annual salary more than $75,000, the employee contribution is a flat rate, not a percentage of salary. For example, an employee with an annual salary of $130,000 in the single plan pays a flat fee of $3,190 per year, which is 2.45% of annual salary. The cost in January 2023 will increase 3% to $3,286, a $96 annual increase.

 

For further information on present rates, consult the table of contribution rates.

Copays for Specialist Visits

The Specialist copay per visit shall increase from $15 to $30 per visit, but the primary care physician and OB/GYN copay per visit will stay at $15. This increase in specialist copay shall also apply to the Tiered Network plan and the HMO plan.

Urgent Care Copays

The copay for approved urgent care facilities shall increase from $15 to $45 per visit. This $30 differential between urgent care copay and primary care physician copay shall also apply to the Tiered Network plan and the HMO plan.

 

Future Cost Calculations

The projected 2023 health care costs to the State in the Aon actuarial analysis were based on the increase in health care costs and utilization by New Jersey public employees from 2020 to 2021. However, most elective procedures were postponed in 2020 due to COVID 19 and many were then carried out in 2021. Therefore, the COVID anomaly resulted in large increases in costs and utilization in 2021 compared to 2020. To determine if the 2023 increases in copays for specialists and urgent care should be continued or revised in 2024 and beyond, it was agreed that the Unions and the State will review utilization and cost information for these services for 2022.

AFT Local 1904 Represents at Rally Opposing Proposed Increases to Health Care Costs for NJ Public Employees

On Tuesday, September 14th, 2022, at Noon, at the New Jersey State House Annex in Trenton, Officers and other Members of the AFT Local 1904 joined in solidarity with other Members of NJ AFT and sibling unions representing various public employees throughout NJ to opposed proposed drastic (20%-25%) increases to health care costs for NJ public employees.

Photo (above): Group of five members of the AFT Local 1904, wearing AFT blue, standing in a row at the NJ Statehouse Annex. From left to right: Bill Vincenti, Reference Librarian/Research & Reference Services, Sprague Library; Rich Wolfson, President, AFT Local 1904; Laura Field, Specialist Coordinator, AFT Local 1904; Hugh Curnutt, NAL Representative, AFT Local 1904; Brian Abrams, Vice President for Internal Affairs, AFT Local 1904.

Photos (above): Left: Various members of NJ AFT, posing together in AFT blue, holding signs supporting the messages of the rally; Right: Various members of NJ AFT, in AFT blue, together with members of other NJ unions, facing away from camera, toward rally speakers, chanting and holding up signs in support.

Congratulations to the 2022 BKMBUW Scholarship Recipients!

The AFT Local 1904 is very pleased to have awarded five scholarships in 2022! Recipients were acknowledged virtually (via Zoom) at our Membership Meeting on Wednesday, May 4th, 2022.

Pictured above, from left to right, are BKMBUW Scholarship recipients Brittany Bascone, Mia Crider, Moonaya Fahmy, Rashel Gonzalez, and Isabella Wnek. Recipients are all undergraduate students in various majors, in good academic standing, with strong scholastic aspirations, and who have demonstrated that they would substantively benefit from the support of the scholarship as a resource.

Our heartfelt thanks to members of the 2022 Scholarship Committee: Carmen Reyes-Cuevas, Lisa Williams, Catherine Baird, and Karen Mingo-Campbell. Also, sincere thanks to All those who provided recipients letters of recommendation for our students, to the Local Office Manager, Deb Corasio, for helping to manage the scholarship applications, and to the Officers of the Local 1904 for supporting the Scholarship Committee's award recommendations. 

The BKMBUW Scholarship Fund was originally established in 1997 (followed shortly by establishment of Yovnello and Nunn awards—the Nunn award reserved specifically for students who are single parents). The Scholarship currently honors Catherine A. Becker, James P. Keenen III, Joseph T. Moore, Kenneth H. Brook, Anita E. Uhia, and Connie Waller, all former faculty and active union members who were deeply committed to the principles of collective bargaining and to helping our students who demonstrate a significant economic need. 

Please consider contributing to the fund, including in another's name (loved one, etc.). To give to the Fund, please do so via this link (select designation of “other,” and indicate that the donation is for “BKMBUW” ).

Congratulations to all five 2022 recipients!

AFT Local 1904 Attends Rally to Oppose Mass Layoffs at William Paterson University

On Friday, November 19th, 2021, Several hundred people gathered in 40 degree weather at a Rally outside of WPU’s Shea Auditorium to stand in solidarity against proposed layoffs of approximately 40% of full-time WPU faculty (including those with tenure) and numerous members of WPU professional staff. The crowd consisted of members from William Paterson University’s AFT Local 1796, our own AFT Local 1904, as well as other various Locals and our Statewide Council. Various elected officials and other public figures were also in attendance to speak against these draconian measures. Speakers, cheered on by the crowd, condemned as patently false the Administration’s claim that mass layoffs are the one, unavoidable pathway to address the University’s budget exigencies.

Photo above (from left to right): Brian Abrams, Hugh Curnutt, Joe Moore, Joan Ficke, and Rich Wolfson of the AFT Local 1904

Just prior to the rally, the Administration’s plan was presented to the Board of Trustees during their morning meeting. That meeting included a special session during which union members, leaders, and two students voiced their opposition to the plan.

These planned layoffs represent not only a devastating blow to the impacted WPU employees and their families, but also to WPU students, particularly given the University’s status as a minority-serving institution. More broadly, the magnitude and scale of these layoffs at WPU represent a potentially damaging threat to the future of public higher education in New Jersey.