Benefits Of The Union Fighting For Health Care - 1328 Words

Health Care Bargaining - Union The two hardest components in any collective bargaining negotiations is wages and health care. Finding a balance between both is even harder and for a company to stay competitive in the long run. The best strategy in negotiations is for the union to know and weigh the pros and cons of both sides and understanding the legislation affecting the issue to properly negotiate. This paper will first look at the pros and cons of the union fighting for health care or an increase in wages, the impact of legislation, and provide the best argument for the union against GMFC. Pros There are some positive outcomes from keeping the current health care plan or negotiating an increase in wages to offset the cost. The†¦show more content†¦On the labor side, if the company gets rid of their health plan, the state health insurance options may not be as comprehensive as the current plan and employees will have to pay more to get the same amount of coverage they are used to. Legislation Understanding the current legislation affecting collective bargaining is very important for unions and management. Bargaining power is decreased on any side that does not fully understand all aspects of current laws and regulations. The three main laws affecting the issues coming up in the future collective bargaining meetings are: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the Cadillac excise plan tax, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Some states in 2011, also limited the scope of bargaining for healthcare making it almost impossible for unions to adjust plans. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act The PPACA was enacted to make health care affordable and available to everyone. Commonly referred to as the Affordable Care Act, was signed into law on March 23rd, 2010 by President Obama. PPACA also increased the quality of healthcare citizens could receive when their employer does not provide health insurance benefits and regulated the health care system to protect consumers. Cadillac Excise Plan Tax The Cadillac excise plan tax is a part of the PPACA and fines very expensive