School retirees miffed at higher insurance costs
YOUNGSTOWN — A group of city school retirees wants the school district to reconsider a change in their life insurance coverage that raised their out-of-pocket costs by nearly sevenfold.
George M. Phillips, retired president of Local 1184 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, told the school board tonight that the 218 AFSCME retirees weren’t represented at the bargaining table when the school board and current AFSCME leadership negotiated a new contract that changed life insurance costs.
To save $30,000, the district has separated the retirees from the active employees group in providing life insurance coverage, he said.
Phillips said he helped negotiate the $10,000 in life insurance coverage for retirees many years ago, and the district agreed at the time to allow the two groups to be treated as one to provide a reasonable cost for retirees.
For the complete story, see Wednesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com.