November 2, 2007

Paul J. Hopkins, II, Treasurer
County of Essex
Hall of Records
Newark, NJ , 07102

Further Negotiations Queries

Dear Mr. Hopkins:

On behalf of the joint bargaining committee of CWA Local 1081, allow me to thank you for attending our second negotiations session on October 31, 2007 for our successor contract. Your explanation of the Administration's position regarding our Union's computations of the approximate total income the County would realize were its bargaining proposal adopted by its Unions regarding the twenty percent (20%) co-payment by all County employees of the County's costs to provide them and their dependents health benefits was enlightening, this even though we were not, obsequiously, in total agreement with your expressed calculations and as we respectfully rejected the proposal outright at the bargaining table that day.

To reiterate within a memorialized context the requests our Union made of you that day, CWA Local 1081 would be greatly appreciative were you to furnish us the following information in order to facilitate our ability to optimally negotiate in good faith with the Administration:

  • The difference in income the County expects to realize in 2008 for charging County employees a $10.00 co-pay for a generic brand drug prescription and a $25.00 co-pay for a brand name drug prescription compared to the 2006 schedule.
  • The difference in income the County expects to realize in 2008 for charging County employees retail a $10.00 co-pay for a 30-day supply for a generic brand drug prescription, a $25.00 co-pay for a brand name and a $40.00 co-pay for a non-formulary compared to the 2006 schedule.
  • The difference in income the County expects to realize in 2008 for charging County employees for a 90-day supply though mail order for a generic prescription for a $20.00 co-pay, a $50.00 co-pay for a brand name and an $80.00 co-pay for a non-formulary compared to the 2006 schedule when there was no co-pay for any iteration of the aforementioned.

Additionally, please provide CWA Local 1081 a listing of all of our Union's members and the respective health benefit plans in which they are presently enrolled.

Sincerely,

David H. Weiner, President
CWA Local 1081




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