Members of Harvard University’s largest union reacted angrily Friday to assertions by the school in its annual report that health care costs for employees are growing at unsustainable rates.
The Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers, which represents about 4,600 skilled office, laboratory, and library staffers, is negotiating medical care contributions and wage increases with university officials. Its contract expired June 30. “We’re in a difficult contract negotiation,’’ said Bill Jaeger, director of the union. “We’ve been struggling with health care issues for the past three years or so with some intensity.”
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Healthcare costs are going up and in view of the fact that Obamacare is supposed to be better than what americans have now why aren't costs going down?
Health care costs at Harvard have gone down over the last few years - I don't know whether that had to do with Obamacare or just because people didn't want to spend the money to go to the doctor. I have no idea what the effects of Obamacare have been one way or the other. But Harvard is exaggerating its healthcare costs to use that as an excuse to pay their employees less and charge them more for health care. Harvard's healthcare costs have been record-breakingly low for the past 5 years, way better than most other employers, but they are trying to make it seem like they are stuggling to stay afloat.
unions
Maybe there would be more money available for health care if there weren't paying Lizzie Little Feather Warren and her professor husband $750,000 combined to teach a total of three courses between them. They are not in the top 1%. Yeah right! Those fools at Harvuud get just what they deserve.
per Pres. Obama healthcare costs are suppose to go down, now Harvard's favorite president and wannabe senator would not lie? Maybe Elizabeth Warren will cut her salary of $375 thousand dollars for one course.....no way would she do something like that she had to say she was part indian to get that job.
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Perspective from a staff member at Harvard: the salaries the regular unionized staff earn are VERY different from the salaries the faculty earn and we are not at all in the same boat. So make all the Elizabeth Warren jokes you want, fine, but the staff who are being asked to shoulder more health care burden are normal middle class folks who earn $40,000 or $50,000.....NOT $700,000....not even close. But of course I would say that we are luckier than many - to have jobs at all, to have good benefits. But I'd also say that Harvard is in a VERY different position than other employers, and there is no reason they can't maintain those good jobs and good benefits. For them to lump themselves in with struggling state schools and small business is really appalling. The food and alcohol budget for parties in some Harvard departments is probably enough on its own to pay for the raises the union is asking for, not to mention the massive amount of Harvard construction and spending going on in Cambridge and in Allston. Their statements about fiscal constraint are truly embarassing when you see how money is really being spent.