CEBC Meeting Minutes
May 1, 2002
12:15-1:30 p.m.
Present: Thomas Achtor, Ron Carda, Janice Czyscon, Larry Davis, Jim Pavelko, Bill Steffenhagen, Adam Steinberg,
Guests: Steve Burns, Becky Kirkland
Agenda approved
Minutes from the April 2002 meeting were approved as distributed.
REPORTS
Bill Steffenhagen reported on the April 30, 2002 meeting of the UW System Fringe Benefits Advisory Committee meeting. He said that Bill Cox of Employee Trust Funds reported that the Group Insurance Board has authorized a study of different health plans. The GIB is also looking at a multi-tiered system similar to Minnesota's and they are looking at diffent benefit levels. Bill Stefffenhagen said that in Milwaukee the insureers are competing. In Dane County the providers are competing. Bill said that currently health insurance accounts for 2.7% of payroll. Bill reported that Sue Chamberlain of the System Compensation and Benefits Office saidthat benefit changes that the State Budget Conference Committee is looking at are:
Larry Davis asked Bill Steffenhagen to request the GIB to study domestic partner health insurance benefits.
Bill also reported on the ASEC meeting he attended and said there is a memorandum of Agreement between ASEC and WISCAPE to institutionalize the Academic Staff institute with WISCAPE organizing and financing it.
ASEC Coverage
Old Business: Contingency Fund Proposal
Bill Steffenhagen reported that the subcommittee of Adam Steinberg, Steve Burns, Steve Limbach, Anne Lamboley, Gary DeClute, and Bill Steffenhagen met and rejected the original proposal to establish a contingency fund to let people on lay-off continue to work through their appropriate full non-renewal notice periods. Bill said the subcommittee concluded that the proposal would not be in the interests of academic staff since it would result in the loss of the three months employer-paid insurance and sick leave conversion that would come from converting layoffs to nonrenewals. Bill also said the proposal would likely cost an estimated $500,000 to $ 1 million. During the summer, the subcommittee will continue to discuss the issues raised by the proposal, including the idea of changing the current layoff policy to include only one notice period (budget or program decision). This would increase notice from 2 weeks to 2 months for new staff and from 3 months to 6 months for long-term staff. Bill will report on this at the May assembly meeting.
Meeting adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Janice Czyscon