Friday, October 29, 2004
Four of nine voting trustees expressed concerns about rising benefit costs.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Four days before Ohio voters will decide on a marriage-protection ballot issue, Youngstown State University has become the fifth public university in the state to extend health benefits to same-sex domestic partners.
In a resolution approved by a voice vote in a 10-minute special meeting Thursday, YSU trustees gave the benefits to these partners of university employees. YSU follows Ohio, Miami, Cleveland State and Ohio State universities.
Even though four of the nine voting trustees expressed concerns about the potential costs of the benefits extension, Trustee Chairman Larry E. Esterly declared the resolution adopted after a voice vote. No hand or roll-call vote was taken because no trustee called for one, he said.
Cost concerns
"This is a very substantial expense. The $60,000 price tag, which has been quoted on this, may or may not be the actual initial cost. It will definitely not cover the cost of the program in a very short period of time," said Trustee William J. Bresnahan.
"The state won't pick up the tab. Private contributions are never targeted to employee benefits. This is going to come out of the pockets of students," he said, adding that he didn't favor the resolution.
Dr. Chander M. Kohli, Donald Cagigas and Scott R. Schulick, all trustees, said they agreed with Bresnahan. Cagigas said the resolution would add to increases in YSU employee health-care costs, which have risen about 46 percent in the past five years.
However, another trustee, Atty. John L. Pogue, said he favored the resolution. "The monetary costs are but one aspect of the costs the university faces on this issue," he said. Other issues YSU faces are recruitment and retention of faculty and staff and fairness to all employees, he added.
Provisions
Thursday's resolution provides medical, prescription, dental and vision care to employees' same-sex domestic partners and their dependent children, but requires a 10 percent premium copayment.
"What we're getting here is half a loaf," said Jean Engle, YSU's assistant director of marketing and communications, referring to the copayment. Engle is a member of the OutWatch Coalition, a coalition of lesbian and gay advocacy groups in Youngstown.
Pogue said nonunion university employees are already making the copayment, and the university will try to get this copayment approved for all union employees in forthcoming contract negotiations.
"I'm very happy to see that the board stepped forward and took action on this issue," said Michael Finney, professor of English and YSU Ohio Education Association president. Finney said he and his union support same-sex domestic partner benefits.
Ballot issue
Pogue said he'd be glad if YSU can have its domestic-partner benefits grandfathered in prior to possible adoption by the voters Tuesday of the defense-of-marriage amendment to the Ohio Constitution. However, Pogue said the ballot issue, state Issue 1, wasn't the reason the board adopted the resolution Thursday.
The ballot issue says marriage is only between a man and a woman and it would bar the state and its subdivisions from legally recognizing relationships between unmarried people that intend to approximate marriage.
The YSU resolution doesn't cover heterosexual couples living together outside of marriage.