Local OKs plan to pay more

Sixty-four percent of fab plant workers approved the plan.
LORDSTOWN -- Workers at the fabricating plant at the car complex here have overwhelmingly supported a plan to reduce General Motors' health-care expenses.
Members of United Auto Workers Local 1714 voted Friday in favor of the plan, which calls on workers to give up some future raises and retirees to pay more for health care.
Ken Padgett, UAW shop steward, said 64 percent of the membership approved the plan.
Members of UAW Local 1112 at Lordstown are to vote on the plan Sunday and Monday. That local represents workers at the assembly plant at the complex, which produces the Chevrolet Cobalt.
The two locals represent about 5,000 hourly workers.
UAW locals across the country are voting this week and next week on the health-care agreement.
GM and the UAW reached the deal recently to alleviate the financial strain on the automaker, which has lost $3 billion so far this year.
Details
The plan calls for workers to give up 17 cents of their quarterly cost-of-living adjustments in each the first three quarters of next year and then 2 cents in future COLAs. They also would forgo a 3 percent raise next year, which amounts to 89 cents an hour.
This money would be placed in an account that would help pay health-care costs for retirees. GM is to contribute $3 billion into the fund as well.
There would be no changes in the workers' health-care plan other than higher co-payments for medicine.
Retirees, however, would begin paying part of their premiums and pay deductibles for the first time, in addition to the co-payments.
For single coverage, retirees would pay $10 a month with a $150 deductible. For family coverage, they would pay $21 a month with a $300 deductible.