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Teachers' union warns of steep health-insurance increases, urges board action
Summary
Fred Klein, speaking for the teachers' union, said members face large health-insurance renewals (union reported a 25% rise last year and an 18% renewal this year) and urged the board to use resources to retain educators; bargaining will resume once audited budget and final student count are available.
Fred Klein, president of the Anhega Education Association (the teachers' union), told the board that recent health-insurance renewal notices show large increases he said are shifting cost burdens to educators. Klein said last year's increase was about 25% and this year's renewal is about 18%, which he summarized as a cumulative 43% effect over the period; he added the district's contribution rose roughly 2.92% in the same span.
Klein presented plan-specific figures for members he said demonstrate the impact: the PPO annual out-of-pocket cost moved from approximately $9,237 to a renewal figure he cited as $14,363 (per-year and per-paycheck figures were given during the report). He said lower-premium plan options were negotiated but warned that lower premiums can shift costs to higher out-of-pocket copays and coinsurance.
Klein asked the board to use "every available resource" to retain and support educators while bargaining continues; he said financial bargaining will resume later in the month or in early November after the district's audited budget and final student count are available.
Why it matters: The union framed the increases as a retention and affordability issue that could affect staffing levels. Klein linked health-care cost pressure to teachers leaving for districts with better compensation and benefits.
What's next: Bargaining will resume when audited budget and final student counts are available; Klein urged the board to consider district and state funding avenues.
