CHICAGO, Ill.—Mayor Rahm Emanuel and AFSCME Council 31 reached agreement Oct. 4 on a five-year
contract that will give city workers annual raises, but also increase how much they pay for health care. The deal, which covers 3,500 city employees, will raise their pay by 2.1% a year, but will increase their health-insurance premiums by 1.5% by 2020, add a $75 deductible for prescription drugs by 2021, and more than double the maximum contribution for health insurance for a single person, from 1.29% or $43.88 every two weeks to 2.79% or $94.64, with the maximum for family coverage rising to 3.98% or $134.79 per paycheck. AFSCME Council 31 spokesman Anders Lindall told the Chicago Sun-Times that the contract has been “resoundingly ratified” after more than a year of “challenging negotiations,” and that it “provides family-sustaining wages and continued access to affordable health care for AFSCME-represented city workers.” The deal still must be approved by the City Council. Read more
