Health Insurance Premiums

In the 1999-2003 CTU/BOARD Agreement, insurance premiums were deducted from CTU member’s paychecks as a flat rate. They were as follows:

Base Pay	Single	Couple	Family
Up to $27,000	$11.78	$13.46	$15.15
$27,001 to $60,000	$26.50	$30.00	$34.50
$60,001 and up	$41.00	$46.88	$52.73

In the 2003-2007 CTU/BOARD Agreement, hastily negotiated and forced upon the delegates by former president and current presidential candidate from the Pro-Active Chicago Teachers caucus, infuriated delegates and rank and file members back in August of 2003 by agreeing to change the flat rate based to a percentage of the members’ salaries. The percentage was as follows:

Group Coverage	HMO Base	Base Plus	PPO Base	Base Plus
Single	1.3%	2.0%	1.5%-2.0%	2.2%
Couple	1.5%	2.2%	1.7%-2.2%	2.5%
Family	1.8%	2.5%	1.9%-2.5%	2.8%

This notorious decision, accepting a 4% annual raise during a 4 year contract, reduced the raise and in some cases, depending on lane step status, or individual medical costs, REDUCED OR ELIMINATED the entire cost of living raise provided to our members.

The current 2007-2012 CTU/BOARD Agreement negotiated by the UPC, led by now-ousted vice-president Ted Dallas, promised the membership a return to flat rate premiums if elected. Instead, Ms. Stewart agreed with the Board on an insurance premium capped at 2006-2007 salary levels.

With an ever-increasing number of new teachers entering the system, through alternative certification programs and other incentives, CPS is still reaping the benefits of percentage health insurance premiums given that new teachers are continuously moving up on the salary schedule while teachers with more than 13 years of service have been seeing increases in premiums as they advance to higher lanes.

The more you make as a Chicago Teacher, the more you’ll pay to your employer unless flat rate premiums are restored to contract language.

Alarmingly, the current 2007-2012 contract also allows negotiations to open up the issue of health care premiums. Contingent upon this health care “re-opener” the potential exists for the 4% raise to be reduced or even disappear with rising costs of premiums during the final 2 years of this contract.