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  tea » archives ยป February 1, 2010 email:  

Topics

  1. 2010 Healthy Incentives Program - Deadline Extended
  2. WW Update
  3. Transit Update
  4. February TEA Meeting Schedule

1. 2010 Healthy Incentives Program

King County has extended the deadline to complete the wellness assessment. We now have until 4pm on February 26th to complete the assessment.

Program Highlights:

You and your covered spouse/domestic partner must each take the wellness assessment by February 26, 2010;
The choices for individual action plans and the process for completing them have changed from last year;
You and your covered spouse/domestic partner must each complete an individual action plan by June 30 to earn the gold out-of-pocket expense level for the next year.

You and your covered spouse/domestic partner must make 50 total planner entries in addition to completing one of the Lifestyle Improvement Programs (refer to specifics below on this). HR has confirmed that these entries do not have to be on consecutive days. The program allows for missed days, just plan accordingly. If you have 50 entries by June 30th, you will get credit. You will not, however, be able to wait until June 30th to log all entries.

For specific details and more information please refer to KC web site for details: http://www.kingcounty.gov/employees/HealthMatters/HealthyIncentives.aspx

Following is an excerpt from that web site regarding the 50 entries.

There are 4 different planners that you can use as you complete the online WebMD Lifestyle Improvement Programs to track your healthy behavior. You must make 50 total planner entries in addition to completing one of the Lifestyle Improvement Programs before the June 30th deadline to earn the gold incentive.

About the planners:

Planners can be advanced tools to help you plan all of the details of your lifestyle of simple tools to keep track of your activity.

Any combination of planners can be used to accumulate your 50 planner entries.

While planners are designed to work with specific Lifestyle Improvement Programs, you can use any planner and Lifestyle Improvement Plan combination.

All planners allow you to plan your healthy behavior in the future, but you can only record activity you have completed, not activity you plan to do in the future.


2. WW Contract Update

Wastewater Staff Retro Payment this Week - King County says that the 2009 COLA will be distributed in the February 4 paycheck. Congratulations!!
Anyone wishing to make a claim for retro payment based on any of the new contract terms (night shift and/or standby for example) please send your documentation to John Phillips ASAP.

Wastewater Supervisor Contract The Wastewater Supervisors bargaining unit met with the County on January 20. The result of the meeting was an agreement by both parties to go to mediation over the unresolved items: wages and BT. King County and TEA are working on getting a mediator assigned from PERC. TEA agreed to set up at least four meetings with the mediator in February and possibly March depending on the mediator's availability.


3. Transit Update

Furlough ULP - In October 2009, the State Hearings Examiner ruled that King County had acted improperly when it implemented the furlough. In November 2009, King County appealed the ruling and requested oral arguments before the 3-person PERC Commission. PERC initially agreed with the request; but on January 22, 2009, PERC notified King County and TEA that oral arguments would not be considered as part of the appeal; their decision on the appeal would rest on the case evidence and the appeal briefs.

What does this mean for TEA's case? It's fair to interpret this as a good sign. TEA prevailed in the case before the hearings examiner and the PERC Commission has denied King County's request for further oral argument. At the very least, not holding oral arguments should speed up PERC's final ruling.


5. February 2010 Meeting Schedule

February  3 - TEA Board Meeting, 12-1, KSC 4G
February 10 - TEA Board Meeting, 12-1, KSC 4G
February 23 - TEA Grievance Committee Meeting
February 24 - TEA Monthly Member Meeting, 12-1, KSC 5B&C


TEA Board

    Roger Browne, President
    Adé Franklin, Vice President
    Ken Madden, Secretary 
    Terry Browne, Treasurer
    John Phillips, Wastewater Bargaining Chair
    Jerry Williams, Transit Bargaining Chair
    Jan Knudson, Council of Reps. Chair