OC Sanitation District: Bargaining Reopener on Health Reimbursement Accounts

Dear OCEA member,

Our current MOU includes a provision to re-open the agreement to discuss a plan to offer a Health Retirement Account (HRA). An HRA is a vehicle to help workers pay for qualified medical expenses incurred during retirement. A typical program has workers and employers making tax-free contributions to an HRA account.

The re-opener was on hold pending talks between the District and your coworkers in the Supervisor and Professional Management (SPMT) bargaining unit. District management reported last week that an agreement regarding an HRA program had been reached.

We have been informed the District may be open to negotiating an HRA benefit with its other bargaining units. District management will soon send you an email invite to a presentation about HRAs by the plan administrators who will also answer basic questions about HRAs and how they work.

Subsequent to that presentation we will schedule a membership meeting to discuss and survey the level of bargaining unit interest. Details will follow so please continue to check your email. You can also reach out to me at saregaye@ocea.org or to one of your OCEA Stewards.

We will communicate further developments to you as they unfold.

In Solidarity, 

Saliem Aregaye
Labor Relations Representative

Publication Date: August 28, 2021