Alcatel-Lucent 2014 Bargaining Report #6

Bargaining Report #6

Alcatel-Lucent Installation

Today the company made its formal proposals on Benefit Plans.  Though we haven’t bargained active benefits since 2004 and we all know that the cost of health care has gone up dramatically, Alcatel-Lucent’s proposals are out of line:

Disability Plans:

Eliminate 100% pay for all sickness and accident disabilities. Currently if you have 15-20 years of service for sickness disability you get 100% pay for 26 weeks and 50% for 26 weeks; 20-25 years gets 39 weeks at 100% and 13 weeks at 50%; over 25 years currently gets 52 weeks at 100%. For those over 15 years the new proposal pays 90% for 26 weeks and that is all you get.  Short term disability ends at 26 weeks for everyone. There are also big changes to the accident disability plan for those hurt on the job and the Long Term Disability Plan. Very few of our members take more than 26 weeks of regular disability and the numbers on LTD and accident disability is miniscule but the company still sees these as things they must cut. 

Medical Plan:

Increase single premium from $45 to $90 a month; family from $60 to $180.

Increase individual deductible from 0 (zero) to $500; two-person from 0 to $1000;

Family from 0 to $1500 (those are for in-network).  They also proposed increases in the out-of-pocket maximums; physician’s visits ($30 to $40); emergency room visits and hospital stays. 

Maybe our French overlords don’t understand that, unlike in most of Europe, American workers get these benefits from their employers, not from the government.

There were also proposals to move to a Vision Plan that is voluntary with a small premium for a plan that provides a much better benefit.

The Company would also eliminate our company paid Legal Plan.

We must let the company know that these kinds of increases in our medical costs and the attacks on our disabled members are a sick idea. We will let them know at the table but you must let them know in the field.

Strike Vote information and ballots have been sent out to the Locals.  We need a strong YES vote.  Contact your Local to find out how to vote.

Your Bargaining Team,

Laura Unger

Martha Flagge, Staff Representative

Mike Klein, Local 4050/4090

Rick Mulledy, Local 4390