CalPERS Health Benefits Tentative Agreement Reached Feb. 9 The Joint Labor-Management Benefits Council (JLMBC) bargaining units (ACE, FA, CSEA. OES, Teamsters) and the District reached a tentative agreement to switch to the CalPERS Health Program for all District employees and retirees as of July 1, 2012 with open enrollment
in April, 2012. Today, February 14, the ACE Negotiating Team concurred with this tentative agreement and recommended taking it to ACE employees for ratification. (Ratification would only be for the change in health benefits. See dates for General Information meetings and online ratification voting.) Background Moving to the CalPERS Health Program would result in a savings to the District of approximately $7 million. A move on July 1, 2012 would result in an additional $2 million in savings for a total savings of $9 million on the cost for health insurance benefits. This saving would slow the depletion of the District's Rate Stabilization Fund 61, a designated fund of one-time money that was created to offset the rising cost of health care reflected in employee/retiree contributions to premiums, deductibles and co-pays. CalPERS coverage is based on a calendar year
(Jan. 1 to Dec. 31) and offers three types of health plans for actives
and retirees (and plans in combination with Medicare for retirees over age 65):

1. Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs)
    
2. Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs including Kaiser)
    
3. Exclusive Provider Organizations (EPOs)
   (limited to members in certain California counties).
    

ACE General Membership Meeting, Feb. 21 &
Online Ratification Voting Feb. 23 & 24

• ACE will hold a General Membership Informational Meeting on Tuesday, February 21 at a time to be announced.
   
• An Online Full-Member Ratification Vote will take place from Thursday, February 23 – Friday, February 24
  Votes will be tallied on Monday, February 27.
   
• The deadline to inform the District of the ratification vote result is Tuesday, February 28, 2012 in order for HR to take the decision to the Board of Trustees by March 5, 2012.
   

Get Additional Information about
the CalPERS Health Program DOWNLOAD THE 2012
CALPERS HEALTH BENEFITS SUMMARY PDF for a comprehensive explanation of the benefit plans offered
through CalPERS. Go to http://www.calpers.ca.gov/index.jsp?bc=/eip/self-id-member.jsp for more information about their health
benefit plans.

(Updated on February 14, 2012)
Our current Agreement of 23 articles expires on Oct. 31, 2011.

• On April 13, 2011 the ACE Negotiating Team met for the first time to prepare for bargaining our ACE Agreement with the district.
   
• We sunshined (presented) proposals to the district on July 1, 2011.
   
• The following articles were initially opened:
  District:
  Article 4- Temporary Work
  Article 5- Union Rights
  Article 7- Employment Practices
  Article 8- Pay and Allowances
  Article 10- Leaves
  Article 11- Layoff
  Article 15- Classification and Reclassification
  Article 16- Disciplinary Action
  Article 17- Retirement
  Article 18- Benefits
  Article 23- Duration
   
  ACE:
  Article 5.2 as it relates to released time
  Article 7.6 Reorganization
  Article 7.12 regarding transfer of relatives/partner
  Article 8 in its entirety
  Article 10.13 Staff Development Leave
  Article 11.3 Notification to ACE regarding layoffs; Retirement Incentives
  Article 15.2 regarding notification to ACE of reclassification requests; career ladders
  Articles 15.5 and 15.6 regarding reclassification appeals
  Article 16.2.8 regarding designation of a Skelly officer
  Article 19 to incorporate “first responder” training
  Article 20 Eliminate Article 20.5
  Article 22 as to defining members
  Article 23 in its entirety
   
• In addition to the listed articles, the District and ACE have an interest to review, edit and clean up nonsubstantive and outdated language in the collective bargaining Agreement to facilitate clarity and the better use of the agreement.
   
• We have agreed to meet on the following Wednesdays during Fall Quarter 2011: Sept. 14, 21; Oct. 5, 12; Nov. 2, 6, 9.
  Additional negotiations dates to be discussed.
   
• Following our first meeting, the district and ACE agreed on further contract items:
  
  • Create and consolidate language specific
    to classified hourly positions
     
  • Clean up forms; correct typos
     
  • Review MOUs for currency/expiration
     
  • Open the entire contract to be able
    to negotiate economic issues
     
   
• The district does not want to negotiate Articles 8 or 18 (pay and benefits) until the budget news is more solid. The current contract will be in effect until an agreement is reached and ratified by the members.