RH Jones: OEA's active members back HB 315

From RH Jones, November 12, 2007
Subject: OEA's active members back HB 315!

To all:

In the OHIO Schools, Nov. 07 edition, the following is reported on page 25: “At its meeting held October 20, the OEA Board of Directors took the following actions: ‘…Passed a motion that the Board of Directors support H.B. 315…’” And on page 12: “LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Members urged to support retiree health care legislation

… Below are a few of the opponent’s messages and OEA’s responses in support of the proposal:

STRS must take a responsibility for its health care problems, rather than pass the burden on to school districts and employees.

The ‘burden’ of providing health care benefits belongs to employers, employees and retirees. Participants in the health care program are paying for 48 per cent of the program’s costs each year through their premiums, deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses.

Currently, state law only allows employer contributions to help with health care program expenses. The employer contribution rate has not increased in more than 20 years. For the first time, House Bill 315 requires active educators to contribute toward their future health care coverage.

.Teachers should be required to work longer.

The current average retirement age is 58. If retired teachers could not receive health care benefits until age 60{Note: Should this say 65 when you become eligible for Medicare?}, it would only add a few years of solvency to the health care fund. Additionally requiring teachers to work longer would increase school district salaries and health care costs.

Districts can’t afford it; don’t solve health care on the backs of kids.

Ignoring the issue of retiree health care will not make it go away, and the longer action is delayed, the more it is likely to cost. HB 315 is a reasoned and measured proposal that shares the responsibility for funding retiree health care among all involved. The proposal is phased in over time to mitigate the impact on school budgets. In contrast, opponents have offered no viable solution to this problem.

OEA members are encouraged to contact their legislators and urge them to support HB 315.”

Please forward this message to all your active & retired teacher friends and relatives. The NEOEA, here in N.E. Ohio also strongly backs the HB 315. The OEA has done a GREAT service in publishing the above article.

RHJones, OEA Life Member and a member of the CORE