GIC proposal heading back to table in Swampscott

SWAMPSCOTT – The town and members of the Public Employee Committee could be coming back to the bargaining table to discuss the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) health plan for public employees.The GIC issue was dead a couple of weeks ago because the state required municipalities to have a signed Public Employee Committee agreement in place prior to Oct. 1 in order to sign on for the upcoming fiscal year. But emergency legislation filed by Gov. Deval Patrick gives communities until Dec. 1 to adopt the GIC.Town officials and town employees reached an impasse regarding the GIC at the end of September when unions in town voted against accepting the latest proposal put forth by the town, but now town officials have new hope they will reach an agreement with the PEC.Town employees and retirees currently pay 40 percent of their own insurance premiums and the town picks up the remaining 60 percent. The offer the town made in September would have reduced the percentage of the premium paid by employees from 40 percent to 30 percent by the year 2014. The town can only adopt the GIC for three or six years at a time, so the proposal floated by the town has an escape clause for 2015.Swampscott Education Association President Paul Maguire said the Public Employees Committee (PEC) sent in a counter offer where the town would pick up 65 percent of the premium in the first year and 70 percent in subsequent years, but the town rejected it.”The town hasn’t asked to go back to negotiations yet,” he said. “But the teachers are certainly willing to go back to the table. We’re willing to sit down and talk.”Swampscott Firefighters Union Secretary/Treasurer James Snow said the firefighters would be willing to revisit the GIC issue.”We’re not opposed to sitting down and opening negotiations with the town as part of the PEC,” he said. “We’re willing to sit down and negotiate.”Maguire pointed out the PEC was formed solely for the purpose of negotiations and has been disbanded, but the town has asked the formed PEC members to serve as an advisory group on group health insurance.”The town has already asked us to meet in late October as an advisory group,” he said. “So we could certainly start the PEC up again.”Town Administrator Andrew Maylor explained by law the town is required to have a Group Insurance Advisory Committee and he has called a meeting for next week.According to town officials, adopting the GIC could save the town up to $800,000.Swampscott School Committee Chairman David Whelan said he hopes the town and PEC are able to reach an agreement.”The money we save by adopting the GIC would make a huge difference to the town,” he said. “I think if we can reach an agreement on this it would be good for everybody.”Maylor pointed out the state requires a 70 percent vote in favor for the town to adopt the GIC. The state gives retirees a 10 percent weighted vote and the other unions get a percentage of the vote based on membership. With the exception of the teachers union and retirees, each of the unions have less than 10 percent of the weighted vote. Maylor said it is impossible for the GIC to pass without the support of the teachers union, which he said carries approximately 58 weighted percent of the vote.