Citing health care law, Boeing pares employee plan

Associated Press ^

[TigerClaws]

WASHINGTON – Aerospace giant Boeing is joining the list of companies that say the new health care law could have a potential downside for their workers.

In a letter mailed to employees late last week, the company cited the overhaul as part of the reason it is asking some 90,000 nonunion workers to pay significantly more for their health plan next year. A copy of the letter was obtained Monday by The Associated Press.

"The newly enacted health care reform legislation, while intended to expand access to care for millions of uninsured Americans, is also adding cost pressure as requirements of the new law are phased in over the next several years," wrote Rick Stephens, Boeing's senior vice president for human resources.

Boeing is the latest major employer to signal a shift for its workers as a result of the legislation, which expands coverage to more than 30 million uninsured people and ranks as President Barack Obama's top domestic achievement. Earlier, McDonald's had raised questions about whether a limited benefit plan that serves some 30,000 of its employees would remain viable under the law. That prompted the administration to issue McDonald's a waiver from certain requirements under the law.

[TigerClaws]

Aw, man. And Boss Man was going to save 3,000% and give us all raises!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgpnE9NtpYo

D'oh!

[Candor7]

[Inyo-Mono]

Maybe that’s 90,000 more people to vote against the Democrats.

[Rocky]

Hey, Democrats, if you like your healthcare plan, you can keep it. Go ahead, keep it. We don’t want it.

[guitarplayer1953]

Where does Boeing have all these 90,000 non union workers? I know in Wichita if your not a union member they give you hell so it is about 90% union and in Seattle your have to be union so where are these 90,000 workers at?

[behzinlea]

I notice that the union employees get to keep their Cadillac plans without having to pay extra.

Imagine that.

[ExTexasRedhead]

More nails in Pelosi’s box!!!!!

[VeniVidiVici]

It's feasible:

Headquartered in Chicago, Boeing employs more than 158,000 people across the United States and in 70 countries. This represents one of the most diverse, talented and innovative workforces anywhere. More than 123,000 of our people hold college degrees--including nearly 32,000 advanced degrees--in virtually every business and technical field from approximately 2,700 colleges and universities worldwide. Our enterprise also leverages the talents of hundreds of thousands more skilled people working for Boeing suppliers worldwide.

[GailA]

Wait until 2018 then that gets hit by a 40% tax!

[Zathras]

All the engineers and management who do the aircraft design are non-union.

[guitarplayer1953]

I thought they were all part of a different union which was the technical part of the company.

[SW6906]

Health care benefits are part of the union contract. They can't be changed without negotiations and the next contract negotiations are in 2012 (IIRC).

Don't doubt that ALL Boeing employees are watching this as what is done to non-union will be done to the unions.

[SW6906]

"All the engineers and management who do the aircraft design are non-union."

Not true. Engineers are union.

[Zathras]

My mistake.
I just figured the design engineers would be too smart to join a union.