IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING HEALTH BENEFITS FOR ALL COBA MEMBERS HIRED AFTER JUNE 1, 2014

(Recruit Classes 97 to Present)

COBA is pleased to announce a resolution with the County in regards to the

“2.5% payment of base salary”

effecting all COBA members hired after June 1, 2014.

Upon taking office, your new COBA Board immediately took an issue with the implemented payment on COBA members hired after June 1, 2014, that accompanied the Collective Bargaining Agreement that was effective as of November 2023 and filed a contract grievance on your behalf.

In filing this grievance, your COBA Board believed that the County violated COBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement when it implemented health insurance payroll deductions of 2.5% of base earnings, effective November 2023, from COBA represented employees who were hired after June 1, 2014 and enrolled in the “Alternative Plan” which is currently the Anthem/Blue Access PPO.

On January 9, 2025, President Lilli met with County Executive Blakeman and discussed this issue with him at great lengths prior to scheduling a court date in hopes of finding a quicker path to a remedy for our membership. As we have stated many times over, the grievance process is our remedy for contractual issues, however, this process is also a lengthy one.

COBA is pleased to announce that at this meeting, County Executive Blakeman agreed with the issues President Lilli brought up in regards to our post June 2014 employees and in order to expedite relief for our members, he granted COBA everything we had been seeking through our grievance. With this agreement, COBA was able to conserve resources and bypass the effort and expense that months of litigation would have incurred.

What this agreement does for COBA Members hired after June 1, 2014:

Going forward, All COBA Members who are enrolled in the “Alternative Plan” will NO LONGER have 2.5% of their base salary deducted from their paycheck for Health Benefits.

All COBA Members enrolled in the “Alternative Plan" from November of 2023, to the current date will receive full reimbursements (FULL RETRO) of those payroll deductions during that time period.

*Estimated Retro by Class breakdown chart below*

As a reminder and pursuant to the 2014-2018 CBA, if a COBA Member who is hired on or after June 1, 2014, wishes to enroll in NYSHIP/The Empire Plan, the Member would be responsible for 15% of the applicable premium (individual or Family). The agreement also gives COBA Members hired on or after June 1, 2014, the ability to choose the “Alternative Plan” (Anthem/Blue ACCESS) which the County pays up to 85% of the applicable Premium. If the cost of the Alternative Plan is over the 85% that the County pays, the Member is responsible for paying that remaining amount above the 85% which is referred to as the “Delta”.

The Executive Board would like to thank County Executive Bruce Blakeman for his attention recognizing the importance of this to our membership and a speedy resolution of this issue.

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