Group Health, union in talks again

By Nick Perry
Seattle Times staff reporter

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After months of animosity that culminated in a strike and competing media campaigns, Group Health Cooperative and about 2,100 unionized health-care workers are back at the negotiating table.

Regular bargaining teams from the two sides are meeting face to face in open-ended discussions that began Friday.

"From our view, it's a positive step," said Carter Wright, a spokesman for the Service Employees International Union District 1199NW. "Our longtime goal has been to get a contract and protect the system of front-line care workers."

While talks are under way, both sides have agreed to keep details of the discussions confidential.

Negotiations have "reached a sensitive stage," the two sides said in a joint statement. "We agree that a public discussion of the give-and-take of negotiations would be counterproductive to our mutual goal of reaching an agreement."

Wright said union members would vote on any tentative agreement.

The nonprofit cooperative provides health care for about 540,000 members in Washington and Idaho.

Group Health began talks with the nurses, medical assistants, custodians and other workers 17 months ago, but negotiations fell apart by August of this year. The main sticking point has been health benefits: Group Health has sought monthly insurance premiums from workers accustomed to paying no premiums for coverage.

On Aug. 23, more than 1,000 workers walked out on a five-day strike. The two sides also escalated a campaign of radio, newspaper and television advertisements. On Oct. 16, the union suspended its ads to focus resources on the general election.

Then on Oct. 29, Group Health announced it would unilaterally impose a new contract on about 1,060 workers, most of whom participated in the strike. Federal law allows such a move when an impasse is reached. The contract included pay raises and health-care premiums.
 
The remaining 1,000 or so employees continue to work under the terms of their previous contract.

Wright said a common misconception is that the union will not agree to pay any health-care costs. Workers already are responsible for co-pays and other costs.

"We are willing to pay more for health care; it's a question of how much," Wright said. He declined to discuss the question of monthly premiums, which he said falls under the confidentiality agreement.

A Group Health spokeswoman declined comment yesterday.

Nick Perry: 206-515-5639 or nperry@seattletimes.com