A Senate budget proposal to change the way school employees get health care has pitted Highline’s teacher’s union against a veteran Highline lawmaker who has been a strong supporter of education funding and is a former King County Labor Council official.
State Sen. Karen Keiser (D-33) is a cosponsor of Senate Bill 6442, which would set up a School Employee’ Benefits Board to develop new health care plans for all school employees.
Private insurance companies selected by the board would cover all of the state’s 109,000 school employees. Currently, each school district collectively bargains with its local unions for health care coverage.
About 200 teachers and other supporters attended a rally Wednesday, March 21, at Mt. Rainier High School in Des Moines to protest a state takeover of K-12 employee health care. They listened to speeches and watched film presentations about fights over government employee collective bargaining rights in other states. Highline state representatives Dave Upthegrove, Zack Hudgins and Bob Hasegawa also addressed the crowd.
Organizers said the attendees came from school districts in Highline, Tukwila, Renton, Kent, Federal Way and Vashon Island.
At the end of the rally, they were encouraged to contact their legislators to oppose the Senate bill.
Prominent on the gym walls were signs demanding, “Senator Keiser, Keep your Hands off Our Health Care!”
Sue McCabe is a special education teacher at Mt. Rainier. She is also vice president of the Highline Education Association, the local teacher’s union McCabe branded the controversial bill as the “first shot at reducing collective bargaining.
“Enough is enough,” McCabe declared.
But Sen. Keiser, Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee chairwoman, says teachers are “sadly misinformed” about the suggested changes.
The bill is about accountability for the $1 billion in public money spent each year on school employee health care, according to Keiser.
She said there is no transparency in how the money is spent and “terrible inequalities” in coverage costs.
According to Keiser, Highline teachers who only enroll themselves in the program may have no out of pocket expenses. But if they sign up for family coverage, they must pay $600-800 per month.
It is unfair that teachers have to rely on their spouse’s employee’s coverage for low-cost health insurance, she said.
McCabe denies Highline’s health coverage is unfair. She said school employees pool their health care coverage costs.
“Locally, we do a fabulous job,” McCabe declared.
She said that through local collective bargaining each district can tailor its own plan.
“Mt. Rainier is different from Spokane,” she noted.
McCabe said, under the bill, part-time school employees won’t qualify for health care coverage. Paraprofessionals who work half time or bus drivers who drive for a few hours in the morning and evening would be denied coverage.
Keiser said it up to collective bargaining between local unions and school districts to determine who is considered a part-time worker
Keiser said the current school health care system hits classified employees harder than certified teachers.
However, McCabe noted that the Teamsters union representing bus drivers opposes the bill.
Keiser said the $100 million savings a year proponents say would be saved could be spent on teachers and classroom instruction rather than “leaking out” in health care costs.
But the Washington Education Association says state analysts have estimated the change would cost the state an additional $44 million.
McCabe maintains that Keiser is isolated from her fellow Highline Democratic legislators on the proposal. The appearance of Upthegrove, Hudgins and Hasegawa at the rally indicates their support, according to McCabe. She said that 33rd Dist Rep. Tina Orwall, whose daughter attends Mt. Rainier, is also opposed to the takeover.
Keiser said she wanted to attend the rally but was unable. As the Senate’s health committee chair, Keiser is very involved in the budget negotiations during the special session.
Keiser noted the bill has not been voted on in the Senate so she does not know how her colleagues in the House of Representatives might vote.
The senator said she has been working for three years on the issue.
“We must have a change,” Keiser declared. “It’s not an acceptable way to spend $1 billion in public funds. Maybe not this year, but there will be reform.”
Asked how it feels as a former union official to be mired in a dispute with union members, Keiser insists the opposition is based on misinformation and her proposed reform would not take away collective bargaining rights.
“It is nothing against teachers, it is all about health care and dollars,” Keiser said.
McCabe admits that Keiser has been a great supporter of education. After meeting with Keiser, McCabe said she thinks the senator is frustrated with insurance companies.
But McCabe says she wonders why Keiser’s frustration is misdirected toward decreasing McCabe’s health care.
