WOODHAVEN, Mich. - Gibraltar Schools teachers will pay more out of pocket for prescription drugs, but will not have to contribute to their health insurance premiums under the terms of a new contract between their union and the school district, according to The (Southgate) News-Herald.
The new contract expires in 2011. Teachers will continue to receive Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance with the Michigan Education Special Services Association as a third-party administrator, according to The News-Herald. MESSA is affiliated with the Michigan Education Association.
Though they agreed to higher drug co-pays and new deductibles, teachers did not want to contribute to health plan premiums, Gibraltar Education Association President Barbara Golembiewski told The News-Herald. She said that could set a precedent of the district requesting higher contributions in future negotiations, The News-Herald reported.
Teachers will receive a 1 percent cost-of-living allowance in the first two years of the contract, the first year retroactively, according to The News-Herald. Teacher salaries in the district range from $38,019 to $80,415.
SOURCE:
The (Southgate) News-Herald, "Gibraltar: Teachers approve three-year contract," Sept. 15, 2009
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Splitting the health insurance bill," Aug. 19, 2009
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