On 24 Feb 2009  09:39:00, EM wrote:

In case you feel that our retiree healthcare struggle with the City does not concern you, please read on... 

A MOUSE TALE

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.  "What food might this contain?" the mouse wondered. He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning.  "There is a mousetrap in the house!  There is a mousetrap in the house!"
 The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr.  Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me.  I cannot be bothered by it." The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house!  There is a mousetrap in the house!" The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr.  Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray.  Be assured you are in my prayers." The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house!  There is a mousetrap in the house!" The cow said, "Wow, Mr.  Mouse.  I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone.  That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.  The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught.  In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.  The snake bit the farmer's wife.  The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever.

 Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.  But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock.  To feed them , the farmer butchered the pig.  The farmer's wife did not get well; she died.  So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.  The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all involved in this journey called life.  We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another. EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY; OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON.

(author unkown)

On 30 April 2008 13:37:00, JA wrote:

Favorable court ruling

Did you notice in the latest AFSCME issue (page 16 - Benton, Arkansas) that a US Appellate court ruled in favor of the retiree position when the city of Benton canceled their health care benefits that had been part of their contract when they retired?

Thanks for the heads up JA, See http://www.afscme.org/publications/18059.cfm

 On 28 April 2008 09:42:00, RW wrote:

Thank you for adding this page to the website. (Medicare Letter)  Right now, we are in the next phase of our battle with the city to retain our medical benefits. Any factual clarification of information is much appreciated. The Duluth News Tribune seems bent on villifying the City retirees, sensationalizing and adding misinformation along the way. Tactics like this latest City mailing (re: Medicare Part B related) are meant to confuse and intimidate the retirees as well as flush out any justifiable administrative cases. The fact that the City still intends to impose a single health care plan on retirees nullifies any hope that the City will act in our best interest. Especially when that plan is plan 3, the same one in place for current employees. It comes with higher out-of-pocket costs, higher deductibles, unknown co-pays for the policy, and likely future increases in the cost of the coverages.

I just sent my check for the retiree health care defense fund. I retired under plan "3" from the city. Is this the plan that the current administration wants us all to be placed? Either way, I will gladly support the fight for legally negotiated benefits for all union brothers and sisters.

On 23 Jan 2008 13:50:30, HA wrote:

The "Crisis" of the City not funding the health care program is not due to the rising cost of health care. It is directly the fault of previous administrations ignoring fiscal responsibilities and diverting capital for health care investments. The public thinks we are getting free lifetime health care. Nothing could be further from the truth. Agreements for health insurance were in lieu of wage standards and other concessions through union negotiations. This is not a "health care promise". It is a negotiated union contract. It is not a promise from John Fedo, Ben Boo, Gary Doty, or Herb Bergson or any of the other previous administrators. Had the program been funded, the "revolving account" would adequately provide for expenses as they occur. However, bricks for streets, fish tanks, zoo crises, water drainage projects, and other more politically acceptable reasons to spend the earmarked money had led to a "crisis", not created by the people affected. The city reasons we should now pay for the stupidity of "not funding" by each administration, who said, "Let the next group take the heat". For twenty years this went on and "NOW IT'S A PROBLEM?". It's still a revolving account and Medicare picks up approximately 80% of the city's liability for anyone over 65. Don't point to us senior citizens and say it was "just a promise". Sorry, it was and is a contract. I worked 37 years for the city. I thought I had seen all of the shenanigans the administration could pull on employees. This one takes the cake. The city wanted the best they could get. Young and healthy, no sick problems there. In 1962 they hired 8 of an application list of over 300 for the DPD. Same ratio for the Fire Department. Health concerns start at about 50 years of age, not 21. Just the group the city wants to separate itself from. The contract guaranteed late-life care. That's what we paid for with our service and concessions. Regarding Medicare and health plans, we pay nearly $2000 in premiums and deductions for this service; hardly free health care. You have my check to proceed to court, if necessary. We expect nothing less than fair treatment in this matter.

Join in!  I've sent my $100 after receiving the letter but some didn't receive a letter. Probably because it may be difficult getting a list of all the retirees. (hmm, I wonder why?) So just pass the word around and they can read the letter here. (Then send in the money) The committee is doing the best they possibly can. Kudos! This is a fight for everyone, be they a city retiree or not. A union member or not. This is a direct assault on all workers. If they can get by with this, then every benefit and pension every fought for, will be at risk. No matter who you are! Job security is bad enough these days without having to worry about, what a person already has, being stolen away from them when they retire. Perhaps when this fight is won, managers and mayors and bosses all around the country will realize they can't mismanage and bungle, year after year, and then blame it on others.

Some don't remember why the city got into the healthcare mess in the first place. I was on the negotiating team at that time. The state of Minnesota passed a new law the made them fund their SICK LEAVE fund. (Just like the Healthcare fund of today) They didnt want to come up with the $5 million to fund it so they offered us life time health care. They then proceeded to strip the employees of all the sick leave and didn't compensate us for it. They also gave us "Light Duty". Now after years of mis-mangement they again try to pass the fault to us.

Just wanted to let you know our check will be in the mail on Jan.4th. Hope its there in time to help. Thanks for all your work.

On 02 Jan 2008 14:34:08, LO wrote:

Since I am not a member of your organization (never got any information on joining) I did not receive a letter from you asking for a donation. Now that I know about it, I will be sending a check. However, this makes me think you are missing the boat. There was such a huge number of employees that retired over the last two years and most retired specifically to retain their health care. I think many of them would contribute and perhaps you could find a way to access their names and contact them for contributions.

On 02 Jan 2008 05:14:31, PW wrote:

Thanks for what you are doing. This could be a slippery slope if we don't do something. Let me know if there's something else I can do besides sending the check.

 On 29 Dec 2007 11:25:20, AC wrote:

Thanks so much for your work, check was sent yesterday. Please keep me informed. With out doubt, the most important issue in my life since retirement.