December 2020 Updates

Brothers and Sisters,

Local 98 new Hearing Coverage: Recently you received a notice about the change we made to our hearing coverage. This letter has caused some confusion so I would like to try and clear it up. The way the new insurance works is every participant will receive up to $3,000 every 3 years for hearing aids, batteries, etc. This will work just like the HRA, once you pay for the items you will submit the receipt to BeneSys to get a reimbursement. I am working with BeneSys at this time to get a form dedicated to hearing. The notice also included information about the company Nations Hearing. The members DO NOT have to use Nations Hearing, although Local 98 worked special discounts with Nations Hearing so the member’s money can go farther. The other big difference with this new coverage is that Medicare retirees and opt out members are eligible for the coverage as well. If you have any questions please give me a call.

2021 Open Enrollment: The 2021 Open Enrollment Packets should be coming out soon and I wanted to take this time to remind members about the new Opt Out Plan we have. This is available to those members with access to insurance through their spouses. The new Opt Out Plan comes with Dental, Optical, Hearing, and a $3.00 an hour contribution to your HRA (Health Reimbursement Account) for every hour worked. This is a great way to build up a savings for medical related expenses. If you would like more information on this plan or any of the other Local 98 Health Insurance Plans please give me a call and I can go over everything with you.

Note on Disability: If you are filing for Social Security Disability you will need to file for your Local 98 Disability Pension at the same time in order to make sure you get all your pension checks. Social Security normally takes at least a year and sometimes a lot longer. If you file for your Local 98 Disability Pension at the same time, then when you receive your award from Social Security we will be able to pay you all the retro money owed.

Dues: By now you have received a letter about the status of your Union Dues and about the 2021 Dues Gift Program. Many of you have already taken advantage of this program. Kristina and I are updating the systems at the hall in an effort to streamline the process. As of now, you can pay online, over the phone, or by mailing in a check. You can also set up auto-payments. If you have any questions or need to pay dues please contact Kristina Lodovisi at (248) 307-9800 ext. 4 or on her cell at (248) 331-7232.

Politics: The 2020 cycle is over so we are now looking forward to the municipal elections in 2021 and then the midterms in 2022. If you are interested in running for local office or are interested in being involved in a member driven political action committee please contact me. Kristina and I are working on potential target city councils, township boards, and school boards where we would like members to run. Every year we lose a ton of work when these local boards vote against us. It’s time we put Union Members on these boards instead of consistently being disappointed in those who should be fighting for us leaving us in the cold.

 

Jon DeRoo, Financial Secretary and Treasurer