How would Marion County’s health care proposal affect YOU?

Marion County’s Last, Best and Final Offer, which they plan to implement September 13 unless we take action to win better protections against health care cost increases, includes:

• 2% COLA in the first year with no retroactivity to July 1.
• 2% COLA on July 1, 2027.
• $50 toward premium increases for the 2026 plan year.
• $204 toward premium increases for the 2027 plan year. With the insurance rate increases, employees’ out-of-pocket costs will remain about the same in 2027.
• $150 toward premium increases for the 2028 plan year. Based on projected increases, workers could see their health insurance costs increase by $30–$150 per month, even with the increase to the employer’s portion.

Even with COLAs, rising insurance costs mean our real take-home pay will fall well short of inflation over the life of the contract.

For the average full-time worker at Marion County, (earning the average hourly wage of $33.29), the health care cost increases would take such a big bite out of our 2% COLAs that take-home pay would only increase by 0.70% to 1.83% over the two-year term of the contract. (depending on which health care plan you are on; see calculator below). Meanwhile, inflation is at 3.36%.

We can still fight for a better health care offer. Sign up for a picket shift today, and learn more about how you can get involved to fight back at Strike School.