Author Archive: USFWC Admin

2023 Open Enrollment for Worker Benefits Has Begun!

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More options, new resources, lower rates, same Worker Benefits Program

2023 is bringing some exciting changes to the Worker Benefits Program that will improve how the program serves you and your fellow workers! 

We’ve taken your feedback and looked at our program inside and out to see where there were opportunities to reduce costs while improving our services, and we are excited to deliver.

The changes outlined below deliver the same great benefits at lower rates than ever. That’s what USFWC members accomplish when we unite and leverage our market power.

Join us for our webinars coming up on October 26 and November 3 to ask questions and learn more about benefits changes for 2023 outlined here:

 

Dental insurance

Our dental insurance company is changing from Ameritas to Delta Dental. The benefits will be the same as the previous plan, but at a lower cost and a slightly different network. Delta is a well-known dental insurance company with a large nation-wide network.

Vision insurance

We heard you – in 2023, we will offer the option of EyeMed OR VSP for vision insurance. With a different network and parent company, we’ve received several requests to offer VSP as a vision insurance provider. We’re excited that in 2023 we will be able to offer the option of either one – each for the same price, which is a lower price than vision premiums were before.

Administrative Fees

We’re gonna be upfront: our administrative fees are increasing this year. Yes, it’s partly because of inflation raising costs for everyone. AND, it’s also because we are growing our ability to offer support to our enrolled groups. We will be offering some tools for enrolled groups to more easily manage their enrollment in 2023, and increasing our ability to support members and enrolled workers 1-1 utilizing their benefits. We are optimistic that the lower dental and vision premiums will outweigh the increased costs of admin fees.

Accident and disability insurance

We offer access to voluntary accident and disability insurance through our broker partner Diversified Human Solutions. These benefits are set up so that workers are responsible for monthly payments, but contact us to discuss organization-paid disability insurance.

Medical Insurance

We continue to only be able to support organizations accessing health insurance in Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas, Colorado, and Washington State. These are NOT multiple group plans, but rather we can support the process of setting up a small group plan with our health insurance broker.

HSA/FSA/HRA (Tax-advantaged plans)

If your organization is interested in setting up tax advantaged plans that allow funds to be set aside for healthcare costs, child/dependent care, or transportation, we can support you in setting that up for your organization with our administrator partners.

Eligibility for the Worker Benefits Program

ALL member organizations of the USFWC may join the Worker Benefits Program so long as they meet plan individual eligibility requirements. Visit usworker.coop/workerbenefits for more details.

Governor Newsom Signs Ground-Breaking Law Giving Workers a Chance to Become Owners

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Legislation builds upon California’s leadership in supporting small businesses & workers

Worker-Owned Recovery California (WORC), Project Equity, and Ownership America applaud Governor Newsom for signing Senate Bill 1407 (Becker D-Menlo Park), the California Employee Ownership Act, into law. The Act equips  California’s small business owners with options for succession and employee engagement and gives workers across the state a chance to become co-owners of the companies where they work. 

The bipartisan-supported measure establishes an Employee Ownership Hub within the Governor’s Office for Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) to provide business owners and workers with resources on employee ownership transitions, as well as support for existing worker-owned businesses. As California continues to recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the State now has the invaluable tool of employee ownership in its recovery toolbox.

Broad-based employee ownership, primarily in worker cooperatives and Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), is an effective strategy to build a more inclusive and resilient economy. In one study, employee-owners earned 33% more, stayed in their jobs 50% longer, and had twice the household net worth of their peers in traditional businesses. “With its proven track record, employee ownership will now have a bigger role in California’s economy,” said Hilary Abell, a Co-founder of Project Equity and WORC. “This could not come at a better time for business owners and workers.”

Approximately 359,000 businesses in California, employing 3.9 million people, have owners that are nearing retirement age. A majority of these owners have no formal succession plan, and most small business owners who try to sell their businesses will not find a buyer. These challenges are compounded by the continuing economic fallout of the pandemic, inflation, and the changing expectations of the workforce, as shown by the Great Resignation.

“Employee ownership enables working people to build wealth while sustaining businesses for the long haul in their communities,” said Senator Josh Becker. “Data shows that employee-owned businesses outperform their peers in profitability, productivity and resilience. Unfortunately, how to make these transitions and seize these opportunities is not widely understood. The new hub within GO-Biz will address that.”

With more than 100 worker-owned cooperatives  and close to 800 companies with Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), California is already home to thriving worker-owned businesses covering every region of the state. Employee-owned companies were four times less likely to lay off workers during the pandemic and have weathered the storm successfully. With institutional support for worker ownership provided by the California Employee Ownership Act, bill sponsors hope to see worker-owned success stories like these multiply across our state. 

“The California Employee Ownership Act is a momentous step toward expanding employee ownership in our state and creating a resilient economy that works for working people,” said Bernadette King Fitzsimons, WORC’s coordinator. “Clearly, employee ownership is a true win-win.”

The CA Employee Ownership Act is headed to Governor Newsom’s Desk!

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The WORC Coalition has exciting news to share: SB 1407, the CA Employee Ownership Act, passed out of the CA Assembly with unanimous support! 

We expect SB 1407 to head to Governor Newsom’s desk early next week. We need your help to urge Governor Newsom to sign the CA Employee Ownership Act into law! Please take a moment to submit an SB 1407 signature request letter to Governor Newsom by Thursday, September 1st. 

Here is how to submit a letter: 

  1. Make a copy of the template letter. Fill in your organization’s information and sign the letter (electronic signatures work).
  2. Email your support letter to the WORC Coalition Coordinator Bernadette at bkingfitzsimons@seiu-uhw.org and she’ll send it to Governor Newsom on your behalf.

We are so thankful to all of you who previously submitted a support letter to a legislative committee, and we ask that you submit a new one address to Governor Newsom. Your people power has gotten the bill passed out of the Senate and Assembly with unanimous support, and we need your help one last time to ensure this bill becomes law!

Again, many thanks for all your continued support. Feel free to reach out to the WORC Coalition Coordinator Bernadette at bkingfitzsimons@seiu-uhw.org if you have any questions.

The CA Employee Ownership Act passed out of Assembly Appropriations!

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The WORC Coalition is excited to share that SB 1407, the CA Employee Ownership Act, passed out of the CA Assembly Appropriations Committee last week! This means the bill will be heard on the Assembly Floor in the coming weeks.

We are so thankful to each of you who took action to support the CA Employee Ownership Act over the past months. Your letters of support, tweets, and calls to legislators were instrumental in demonstrating strong public support for this bill and passing this hurdle.

Again, many thanks to all who have supported SB 1407. We will share action items to support the bill through the final stages of the legislative process soon!