You Get What You Pay For

I have to laugh at this one ....

A labor union that enthusiastically supported the candidacy of Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato has filed an unfair labor practice charge against him and will picket outside his office this morning. (The Honeymoon is over) Members of two Service Employees International Union locals will gather Downtown to protest increases in health insurance co-payments that Onorato has unilaterally imposed, effective Jan. 1. SEIU, which contributed $75,000 to the Democratic chief executive's 2003 campaign, filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the state labor relations board, asserting that the chief executive overstepped his authority in imposing a new health insurance program without the union's agreement. The joy that union leaders felt when Onorato defeated Republican incumbent Jim Roddey in the 2003 race has given way to disappointment. Onorato, in an attempt to contain the government's health care costs, has signed a deal with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield that will increase co-payments from $5 to $25 for doctor visits, from $25 to $100 for emergency room visits, and from $15 to $30 for brand-name drugs. Even with the increase in co-payments, the county will spend $41 million on employee health insurance in 2005, up from $35 million this year.
Initially, Onorato sought to renew the county's health insurance package at the same level of co-payments, only to discover that the county's costs would soar to $60 million a year under that scenario.

So the SEIU does not care if insurance costs the county (which is just another word for "taxpayer") $60 million dollars so long as their precious co-payment says at $5.00. Maybe they should have kept their $75,000 in political money, put it toward the health care for the union members and stayed out of the election. I applaud Dan Onorato. He acting like a Republican and considering the greater good. Not just political payback!