According to the census bureau, 45 million Americans - the equivalent of all the residents of California, Oregon and Washington combined - do not have health insurance. The implication of this injustice on the health, finances and emotional well being of our country is staggering. Although many of the uninsured have little control over their predicament there is one worker's organization that can buck this growing trend.
The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) represents around 3,500 King County Metro transit operators, many of who do not have adequate health care coverage. The current problem lies with Metro limiting the quantity of four hour assignments, thus restricting the number of drivers eligible for full health care benefits.
Part-time drivers who have family, school or other job commitments preventing them from working both mornings and afternoons generally cannot meet the four hour requirement. The approximately 1,000 part-time drivers who do not receive full coverage can opt to pay a portion of their own health insurance premiums. Nonetheless, even with the subsidy, individual coverage can stretch budgets. The out of pocket expense to cover family members is as cost prohibitive as Walmart's phantom insurance.
The ATU is now in the extraordinary position to help the entire membership obtain full health insurance coverage. Like the right to public education or the right to vote, the right to affordable health care should be guaranteed for all.
Here is how this could be accomplished. Metro driving assignments are based on seniority and come in four-month durations referred to as "shake-ups." The contract between the ATU and Metro provides fully paid health insurance to employees who work an average of four hours per day over a one year period.
However, beginning this fall "shake-up," drivers will no longer have to average four hours over the course of a year. Instead, a four hour assignment in any "shake-up" during the contract entitles drivers to full health benefits through December of 2009!
This is the ATU's golden opportunity to achieve full coverage for all the rank and file. If those drivers who select at least a four hour route in this fall "shake-up" were then to pick a less than four hour assignment in the succeeding "shake-up," the number of union brothers and sisters entitled to receive full health benefits would double. By simply repeating this process through the end of the contract, the number of drivers fully insured would rise dramatically.
So why would the rank and file participate in this collective act of altruism? The idealists, though few in number, without hesitation would take part because it is the "right" thing to do. Then there are those drivers motivated by maintaining health benefits that also would be willing to reduce their work assignments once they are fully insured. Finally, with workers out sick, on leave status, or on vacation coupled with historically high turnover and recruitment difficulties, there are plenty of chances for those with morning and afternoon flexibility to work additional hours. For the largest segment, the sacrifice would be the inconvenience of driving a new route or driving at a different time in comparison to the financial hardships experienced by the airline and auto workers.
The impact of this unified action by the members for the members would be enormous. There would be thousands of dollars saved in insurance premiums. Insured employees are happier and therefore healthier, enjoying higher job satisfaction, security of health care for themselves and their ones, and protection against a medical related bankruptcy. In addition, this undertaking would help dispel the image of a rank and file disinterested in helping their fellow brothers and sisters.
The benefit of having fully insured Metro drivers extends to the union at large. This meaningful endeavor could serve as an example for other unions and quell the perception that unions are superfluous.
As for Metro, spiking driver turnover combined with recruitment difficulties has resulted in record bus cancellations that equates to throngs of transit users without reliable bus service. Increasing driver retention, improving employee morale and alleviating Metro's service woes would all be realized with a workforce fully insured. Moreover, having employees with health benefits is compatible with Metro's nationally acclaimed "Healthy Incentive" program that emphasizes preventative medical care.
Some claim Metro can't afford to fully insure all the drivers. On the contrary, Metro would save money from the reduction in recruiting, training and public relation costs associated with high turnover while recouping lost revenue from cancelled bus service. Moreover, Metro would no longer have to pay top scale wages at overtime rates to service uncovered routes vacated by less costly part-timers. Finally, savings would accrue from the reduction of uninsured drivers seeking medical services from the exorbitantly costly emergency hospital care system.
Others contend that the public would not endorse ATU's attempt to seek full health benefits for the rank and file. In fact, a case could be made that the citizenry would applaud public employees selflessly working together for such a noble cause. Furthermore, residents would be exceedingly more supportive of paying for transit operator's health benefits as opposed to such debacles as the millions of taxpayer dollars wasted on the inoperable cameras installed on most of the new buses.
To date, the ATU has spent more time discussing which brand of hot dogs that were served at the summer barbeque than health insurance. Some within the union feel pursuing full medical benefits for all drivers would sever the tenuous relationship between the ATU and Metro. Given the plethora of costly arbitration cases the ATU has pursued against Metro makes folly of this sentiment expressed exclusively by those members with full benefits.
The ATU can protect their union family from the risks associated with lack of adequate health care insurance by promoting and encouraging membership participation. As an organization of the rank and file and for the rank and file, how in all good conscience could the ATU not advocate for health care coverage for all?
Joe Kadushin may be reached by calling 461-1311 or e-mailing editor@sdistrictjournal.com.
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