On Saturday, December 19, 2009, health care workers at Meadow View Nursing and Respiratory Center in Williamstown, NJ will rally in opposition to management’s devastatingly expensive employee health care program. The rally will be from 10:00AM to 12:00PM in front of the center at 1420 South Black Horse Pike.

“We provide health care to patients at Meadow View every day,” said Cathie Pinto, a Licensed Practical Nurse with 12 years at Meadow View. “But if Meadow View gets their way, we won’t be able to afford health care for ourselves or our families.”

At issue is Meadow View’s insistence on moving employees to a cheaper, lower quality health plan to save the company approximately $40,000 a year. They are hope to increase that tally by charging employees significantly more for fewer benefits – nearly 500$ more in some cases. Total costs will hit the families the hardest, with annual costs, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses reaching more than $13,000 a year for some.

“We understand health care benefits are expensive,” said David Canham, Director of Field Services and Organizing of JNESO, the union representing nearly 100 nurses and licensed technical employees at Meadow View. “But these increases are outrageous. No other facility in the area charges as much.”

Since early fall, JNESO and Meadow View have been negotiating a new contract. However, Meadow View’s insistence on the new, expensive benefits package brought negotiations to a stand-still. In early December, following the expiration of the current JNESO Meadowview contract, employees voted overwhelmingly to strike. Two additional meetings were held in hopes of averting a walkout, but Meadow View refused any compromise.

“Our members are dedicated to Meadow View and all of Gloucester County,” said Canham, who is the lead negotiator for JNESO. “They just want to do their jobs, and not surrender nearly a quarter of their paycheck to insure their families’ health.”

Other problems with the Meadow View’s proposed plan include up to $2,000 in annual deductibles when before there were none, and increases of out-of-pocket maximum costs up to $5,000 per family per year. Further, members lose the current “tier system” which lowers costs with more years worked at Meadow View, and lose “buy-up” options that allowed employees the options to pay more for a better plan.

Meadow View was purchased by Revera, Inc. in February of 2007. A Canadian company, Revera’s primary business is to oversee the pensions of Canadian public employees as well as Canada’s military and police.

“Maybe with Canada’s taxpayer-funded health care, they don’t understand how expensive private health insurance is and the burden it puts on employees,” said Pinto. “It is unfortunate they’re trying to subsidize the retirement benefits of a group of Canadians by gutting the benefits of medical staff here in New Jersey.”

JNESO, (pronounced Jeh-Nes-Oh), District Council 1 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, represents 5,000 nurses and licensed technical employees throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania.