Efforts continue to restart Decatur teaching assistants’ health insurance

Nov. 2--DECATUR -- School district leaders said Friday they were working to restore health insurance benefits for teaching assistants who lacked coverage despite returning to work after three days of a strike.

Members of the Decatur Federation of Teaching Assistants still have not reached a contract agreement with the district, with the cost of health insurance being the major sticking point. Union members had suspended the strike they began Tuesday in part because the district notified members that their health insurance coverage would be dropped while they were not working. But when members tried to access coverage and fill prescriptions on Friday morning, they were denied, union President Paula Busboom said.

"This cruel and heartless move by the school board is yet one more example of continuing harm the board is willing to inflict on us," Busboom said, speaking during a press conference Friday afternoon.

She said teaching assistants had originally been told that they would have benefits reinstated when they returned to work, but were being told on Friday that it would happen "sometime next week."

Denise Swarthout, the district's chief communications officer, said the district was working on getting the matter resolved.

"We have to manually fix each person's insurance. Unfortunately we can't do a mass sweep to fix it," she said. "We have staff working to fix the issue."

Those with urgent health needs were encouraged to call the district to have their benefits reinstated sooner so they could access services.

The district said insurance benefits had been terminated because the teaching assistants were not working the minimum required hours per day during the strike. School board member Regan Lewis had announced during a press conference Monday, before the strike, that those employees would be able to keep getting benefits if they pay all of the costs under COBRA.

The union represents 275 hearing interpreters, licensed practical nurses, hearing-vision technicians and teaching assistants. Because of the strike, more than 500 special education and prekindergarten students whose programs rely heavily on teaching assistants were kept out of class for three days.

The two sides are working with a federal mediator in an attempt to solve their dispute. Busboom said the union has notified the federal mediator handling the negotiations of members' desire to return to the table, but the district has not yet responded.

Swarthout said Friday that the mediator has asked to meet individually with the district and union before the two sides come together again. She said the district was working to schedule the individual meeting.

The teaching assistants, who have been negotiating with the district since April, say the district's health insurance proposal is too expensive for them, particularly those with family coverage. District leaders have said they're offering reasonable benefits, including the option of a high-deductible plan with lower monthly premiums. They have accused union leadership of failing to communicate details to members.

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Though no further mediation sessions are scheduled, teaching assistants continued to demonstrate along a major highway in Decatur. On Friday, they stood on South Main Street during the evening commute home for many, holding signs that read "We Support Our Teaching Assistants" and chanting. Gathered outside of 1 Main Place, they also made noise during an event where business leaders announced the rebranding of the Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce. A teaching assistant who declined to be identified said the location was chosen because it was near the workplace of a school board member.

Five people were unable to fill prescriptions because of terminated benefits as of 2 p.m., district Chief Operational Officer Todd Covault said. He said that, according to a report by the district's management services company, Prime Therapeutics, six others could not fill prescriptions because they were not yet due for a refill.

Covault said 11 members with urgent health needs had their benefits reinstated by 5 p.m. Friday.

Previously, Swarthout told the Herald & Review that the striking employees would get their health insurance back if they returned to work. "If teaching assistants are at work, all pay and all benefits will be earned," she said.

Swarthout said district staff was poised to work this evening and over the weekend to get the benefits reinstated as soon as possible.

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Decatur teaching assistants return to work, but health insurance battle remains

WATCH NOW: Decatur teaching assistants union holds press conference, strike suspended

The union represents 275 hearing interpreters, licensed practical nurses, hearing-vision technicians and teaching assistants. Because of the strike, more than 500 special education and prekindergarten students whose programs rely heavily on teaching assistants were kept out of class for three days.

The teaching assistants, who have been negotiating with the district since April, say the district's health insurance proposal is too expensive for them, particularly those with family coverage. District leaders have said they're offering reasonable benefits, including the option of a high-deductible plan with lower monthly premiums. They accused union leadership of failing to communicate details to members.

Busboom said during a press conference Thursday the union communicated through the federal mediator that the union wanted to negotiate. The district had not yet responded by Friday's press conference, Busboom said.

This story will be updated.

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Contact Analisa Trofimuk at (217) 421-7985. Follow her on Twitter: @AnalisaTro

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