USW Denounces Changes to Massachusetts Public Employee Benefits

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United Steelworkers (USW) today issued this statement from District 4 Director John Shinn after Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey opened an investigation into Gov. Charlie Baker's Group Insurance Commission's (GIC) Jan. 18, 2018, decision to reduce the number of health plans available to public employees and retirees:

"The USW is deeply aggrieved by the GIC's recklessness in proceeding to vote on changes that will impact hundreds of thousands of state employees, retirees and their families by reducing the number of health insurance plans available to them from six to three.

Along with state lawmakers and other unions whose members would be negatively affected by the decision to adopt these changes without discussing them with employees or allowing public input, we wholeheartedly support Attorney General Healey's investigation to determine if the commission violated the state's Open Meeting Law.

Regardless of the results of the investigation, we believe that the GIC clearly betrayed the public's trust by rushing into this decision without considering its potentially disastrous consequences for so many working families."

Added USW District 4 Sub-district 5 Director Steve Finnegan:

"We hope that these changes will be nullified when the investigation concludes and that in the future, Gov. Baker and his eventual successors will operate openly and transparently by following the letter and spirit of the law."

The USW represents 850,000 men and women employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in public sector and service occupations.

More information, contact: Tony Montana ? (412) 562-2592 or [email protected]

SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)