University of Illinois administrators are warning employees that the state could retroactively increase their health insurance premiums. The university system recently held informational meetings at its three campuses in Chicago, Champaign-Urbana and Springfield.
Katie Ross, who works in Human Resources for the U of I, says that the outcome of negotiations between Governor Bruce Rauner's administration and AFSCME-- Illinois' largest public employee union--could results in higher monthly premiums. If that happens, she says the state may take money from employees' paychecks to cover increased premiums retroactively to July 1st of this year.
ROSS: "We have not ever seen a suggestion of retroactive premium increases being collected from our pay before. This could create financial hardships."
Rauner has described the health plan for public workers as "platinum" and has proposed changes to save the state money.
Contract negotiations between Rauner and AFSCME have stalled. The state labor relations board is expected to decide whether talks are an impasse later this year. But university system officials say they anticipate the decision will be appealed in court.