YOUR EDITORIAL "Savings on the table" (April 21), specifically in referencing municipal employees, was misleading. It read: "Under current law, employee unions have a veto over whether towns join the Group Insurance Commission . . . The Legislature can help towns by eliminating that veto." Why are you advocating having the state Legislature negate legal contracts that call for negotiating health insurance?
In Worcester, city retirees and the city unions have wanted to adopt Section 19, a state law that other cities and towns have adopted to save on healthcare costs.
Section 19 can be adopted when a majority of the City Council votes it up and the city manager approves it. More than 18 communities have adopted Section 19 and many more are in the process of doing so. Why? Section 19 takes healthcare out of individual union contracts and creates a coalition made up of all the city unions and retirees.
As a Worcester retiree I would like to see political leadership from our City Council and have the motion to adopt Section 19 voted up or down. Retirees need Section 19.
Virginia Ryan
Worcester
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