Under contract - All four Belknap County Nursing Home unions reach agreement

By ROGER AMSDEN, for THE LACONIA DAILY SUN

LACONIA — The Belknap County Delegation voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve a two-year contract with the 81 unionized employees of the Belknap County Nursing Home, which will provide a one-time $2,000 health incentive bonus and replaces the current HMO health insurance plan with a site-of-service plan.

Roger Grey of Sanbornton, citizen representative on the county negotiating team, said that the contract took almost two years of negotiations and saves the county $200,000 a year in health insurance costs over what it would have cost had there been no agreement.

He said that the contract with the State Employees Association Local 1984 will increase costs by $61,029 in the first year, but reduce them by $60,735 in the second year.

The agreement also provides for $500 health savings plan and three percent step increases, but no cost-of-living increase in the first year of the contract. The second year will see a COLA of between 1.4 and 2.4 percent.

It was explained that the health savings plan will apply to 71 of the 81 employees as there are 10 opt-offs who do not receive their insurance from the county. The opt-offs will still receive the $2,000 health incentive bonus.

He said that the switch to a site-of-service health insurance plan "gets rid of the Cadillac insurance plan," which in the future would have resulted in the county paying taxes on health insurance because premiums would exceed federal guidelines.

"It's a good deal for the county and will put all four unions here on the same insurance plan," said Grey.

It mirrors the collective bargaining agreements negotiated with Teamsters Local 633 representing managerial and administrative employees and the Belknap County Sheriff;'s Department and the State Employees Association, representing Belknap County Corrections Department officers, all of which have been ratified by the members of both unions and approved by the Belknap County Delegation.

County Commission Chairman David DeVoy said that it was the first time in four years that the county has had contracts in place with all of the unions representing county employees. Two years ago the county delegation rejected a contract which had been recommended by the commission and earlier this year the union rejected by a 33-14 vote a contract proposal made by the commissioners.

The county employs about 250 people, 40 of whom are not union members but who receive the same health insurance benefits.

The delegation had 11 of its 17 members present for the meeting, which was presided over by Herb Vadney (R-Meredith), vice chairman, who presided in the absence of Chairman Rep. Frank Tilton (R-Laconia). The vote was 11-0.