Teacher health veto override the right move

To the Editor:
I disagree with your recent editorial (“Teacher health veto override a bad move,” Jan. 11, 2010), criticizing the General Assembly’s override of the veto of a bill to form a statewide labor-management committee to create uniform plan designs for medical insurance for teachers and school staff. The bill will limit the number of insurance offerings in an effort to get a more cost-effective purchase price for Rhode Island communities.
Your editorial wrongly claims that the general public would “barely” be represented on the statewide board. The same management representatives who currently negotiate contracts, namely superintendents, business managers and school committee members will all continue to represent management at the table. These management representatives comprise half of the board. This specious claim put forward at the last minute by the governor and the Association of School Committees almost kept Rhode Island from moving forward with a worthwhile project to streamline the purchase of public-employee health care.
The Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals supported this bill even though it conceded some local bargaining rights to the new statewide board. We did so because the bill was a compromise created by all interested parties. I appreciate the leadership of Sen. Hanna M. Gallo, D-Cranston, and Rep. Joseph M. McNamara, D-Cranston, on this issue and am particularly disappointed in the 22 representatives and nine senators who supported the concept in June and switched their vote in January.
James A. Parisi
Field Representative, RIFTHP