Ruling Comes After New London Police Officer Opted Out Of Health Plan
Published on 10/13/2006, The Day
New London— The state labor board is asking the city to pay six months of health insurance cost sharing for New London police officers after it allegedly engaged in “direct dealings” with a city police officer — over and above the union.
The city has 45 days to appeal the ruling, which city officials estimate would cost the city nearly $50,000. Mayor Elizabeth Sabilia said New London could pay the cost without taking extra budget measures.
According to labor board documents, the dealings occurred in 1994, when retired Connecticut State Police Officer Michael Meehan came to work for the New London Police Department.
The city allowed Meehan to continue under his state police health insurance rather than buy into the health insurance collectively bargained through the New London Police Union.
According to the State Board of Labor Relations, as the police union's contract did not allow officers to “opt out” of the plan until a new contract was negotiated for 2003, the city violated the Municipal Employee Relations Act by dealing directly with an employee concerning a mandatory subject of bargaining.
“My understanding is it's a punishment for a conversation one employee had with another employee that she (now retired Personnel Director Barbara Willoughby) probably didn't even know she wasn't supposed to have,” Sabilia said of the decision.
“The philosophy behind it is that you can't go around the contract that has been made with the union,” she said. “I understand the reasoning behind it; it just seems like a pretty harsh punishment.”
Local Union President Lt. Marshall “Chip” Segar said the union discovered the problem during negotiations for the 2003-2007 union contract. Segar said the union was trying to decide whether or not to include the “opt out” option for health insurance when Meehan told him that he was not on the city's health insurance.
A review of the police department budget records found that Meehan was the only officer not included in a breakdown for health insurance premiums.
New London police officers pay 9 percent of health insurance premium costs, while the city pays 91 percent.
According to the labor board's decision, Meehan would have contributed $4,499 in cost sharing premiums during the 10 years in question, and the city would have paid $101,195.
Under the Oct. 3 labor board ruling, New London would be required to pay 100 percent of each police officer's costs for six months as payment for the savings.
“Direct dealing is a direct assault on the collective bargaining process,” Segar said.
Due to the sensitive and controversial nature of police work, direct dealings could potentially allow for city officials to hand out raises or promotions for political reasons or favor, he said.
Segar said the city had multiple opportunities to discover the error in the 10 years it went unnoticed. In 2002, Meehan requested to be placed on the city's dental insurance in anticipation of expensive dental work for his family, according to the labor board decision.
Segar said the union initially offered to settle for Meehans' out-of-pocket expenses for orthodontic work rather than bring the case before the full labor board, but the city turned down the offer. He did not give the details of that offer.
“I think it's inappropriate for the parties to discuss, on the record, negotiations that were made during settlement discussions,” City Attorney Brian Estep said Thursday.
Estep said the city has not decided whether to appeal the ruling. He called the decision ironic, saying that Meehan, who has since legally opted out of the city's health insurance plan, will be the only officer in the department who will not benefit from the labor board's decision.
j.wernau@theday.com