Details emerge on North Pocono teachers contract [The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.]

June 14--A contract that adds or increases some copays and changes health insurance and prescription drug plans could help the North Pocono School District save between $1.17 million and $1.43 million over the next four years.

School board members accepted the agreement Wednesday night that may end an ongoing labor dispute culminating in an April strike.

Board President Paul Kowalski had said Wednesday the district will not release remaining details about the health care implications of the deal until teachers ratify the agreement in a vote scheduled for today.

The Times-Tribune has already reported many of the details of the contract, including raises that will cost $2.1 million over five years and the continuation of no health insurance premium contribution requirement.

Although officials had provided no concrete information about how the estimated savings would be achieved, school board member William Burke, who opposed the agreement, provided the breakdown Thursday in a document.

Switching health insurance plans for 50 people would save between $129,750 and $147,050 per year, according to the document's estimates; changing the prescription drug plan would save between $65,000 and $78,000.

Union members getting CT, MRI or PET scans would pay $75, saving an estimated $40,000 to $50,000 annually. Hospitalization or outpatient procedures would cost $50 per person, for a savings between $17,300 and $23,700. Copays for doctor visits would double from $10 to $20, saving $23,700 to $34,600, and emergency room visit copays would increase from $25 to $50, saving $2,250 to $5,000.The savings add up to a range of about $293,000 to $358,350 per year.

Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, said the school board's refusal to provide details about the agreement prior to Wednesday's vote "violates both the letter and the spirit of the Sunshine Law." She explained that the public cannot weigh in before a vote if they do not have details in advance.

District solicitor Joseph O'Brien disagreed, saying Mr. Burke had released the important details on Friday to The Times-Tribune, although the rest of the board had not authorized Mr. Burke to provide the information.

Mr. O'Brien said the full text of the agreement will not be released until after it is ratified because he and union leaders are still refining some of the language.

Contact the writer: [email protected], @kwindTT on Twitter

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