On Tuesday, union employees went on strike against SK Hand Tool Corporation. According to union representatives, the decision to strike after months of negotiations came when employees’ health plans were revoked without notice. Employees didn’t even realize anything was wrong until one of them happened to take a close look at his paycheck and realized the company was no longer contributing to their health plan.
SK Hand Tools has done business in the Chicago area since 1921. A company press release blames the insurance provider for revoking coverage, emphasizing it was not responsible for the decision.
The position SK Hand Tools employees now find themselves in only serves to underscore the need for healthcare reform. It is a local, tangible example of how vulnerable even the employed and insured are under the healthcare payor system currently in place.
If H.R. 3200 (the healthcare reform bill currently under debate in Congress) were in effect, SK Hand Tools would be required to contribute about 72.5% towards their workers’ premiums or face a payroll tax. If SK’s employees suddenly found themselves unemployed, the government’s public option arm would serve as a safety net for those unable to afford Cobra (a continuation of the employee's insurance plan for which they must pay the premiums) while looking for another job.
Once insurance is revoked, it’s revoked. There is no grace period for employees who’d scheduled surgeries or procedures a day after coverage ended or for those who continue to require medical care after coverage stops. Interviewed by ABC Channel 7, one SK employee, Degan Gavatski, revealed he now owes over $20,000 in healthcare bills because he underwent an operation a few weeks ago. Mr. Gavatski makes just over $13 an hour working for SK.
“When you have something you don’t realize how much you need it, but when you lose it, you realize how much you need it,” said another employee.
To read the full story on SK Hand Tool employees' decision to strike, please go to: abclocal.go.com/wls/story .
For a basic breakdown of the healthcare bill, you can check out some of my previous postings such as: www.examiner.com/x-7503-Chicago-Health-Care-Examiner~y2009m7d22-Explaining-Obamas-healthcare-plan or go to the government's website at: www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/ (this website really does a good job of breaking down the arguments for and against the bill - obviously, it's biased for the bill, but it does provide hard facts which you can verify elsewhere if you're interested).
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