In the wake of the BIAW’s unprecedented $7 million temper tantrum in the governer’s race, there has been some chatter that this may finally be the year that we see some legislation aimed at reining in the growing politicization of the state’s “retro rebate” program… an effort that will surely be branded by the BIAW and their editorial board allies as an attack on free speech. Well… that couldn’t be further from the truth.
See, the retro rebate… it isn’t the BIAW’s money. It just isn’t. The money belongs to the employers and employees who pay into the state workers compensation system, and if there’s any rebate coming back, that’s where the bulk of it should go. Indeed, the fact that there is such a large rebate, achieved mostly by pooling risk, suggests that there are gross inefficiencies in the system and its current rate structure, that if directly addressed could result in substantially lower premiums in the first place.
I understand that the BIAW and many other industry associations are heavily invested in exploiting workers compensation inefficiencies to fund their own activities, political or otherwise, but that was never the purpose of the retro rebate program, and thus it is hardly an argument for opposing reforms that would directly lower costs to participating employers and employees, particularly during these hard economic times.
It is time for workers compensation reform that lets employers and employees keep more of their hard earned dollars. And if the BIAW wants to fight a referendum next November, directly opposing the interests of their own members, well, that’s up to them.
Jeez, what an old time Bolshevik diatribe this is. “…exploiting workers…” M’Gawd!
See any correlation between the SEIU, et al on exploiting workers compensation?
Wow, I was going to post a comment saying exactly what John425 said…
as a joke!
–
Paying dues to the folks who negotiate higher wages and benefits for you is bad??
Here’s to the old days – when you got one day off a month (like many in China today).
Yes, we should give hardworking employers in the building industry and their workers a tax cut in these tough times! Who knows, it might save the industry! Or at least put a little food on the table. An efficient L & I system is one in which the retro rebates are zero.
@1 The only correlation I see with paying SEIU dues is higher wages and benefits, better working conditions, and more job security.
uptown: So you approve of SEIU being your bitch, doing the same thing; while the BIAW can’t?
I asked this question three times to yelling loser boy and he didn’t answer it, which in reality he did answer it.
And I guess the SEIU isn’t really doing the job because their members are paying higher health care costs and the UAW members don’t.
Puddy remembers this SEIU ad from 2004.
“With the cost of health care and prescription drugs going up, George Bush prohibited Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices.
And Bush has done nothing to stop insurance companies from raising rates.
John Kerry has a plan to lower prescription drug prices, extend health care coverage to almost every American and save families up to a thousand dollars a year on health insurance.
We can do it if we take action, now.
The Service Employees International Union Committee on Political Education is responsible for the content of this advertising.”
Hmmm…? I know you leftist morons forgot this fact!
Puddy @5,
It’s not the same thing as SEIU dues, and you know it. The BIAW is free to collect dues, and spend them how it wants to. What it is doing with retro is taking an administrative fee that was supposed to spent on increasing workplace safety, and spending it on right political candidates and campaigns.
BIAW has no inherent right to this money. Most states have nothing comparable to retro, and we can efficiently administer workers comp without it.
These administrative fees are also deductible from the contractors’ federal income taxes. To the extent they are used for political purposes they are tax deductible political contributions. That is privelege the rest of us do not share.
The employers and the workers both pay into the L&I system to pay workers compensation. but only the employers get the rebate. I’ve worked in the construction trade for twenty years and haven’t gotten back a dime. I pay union dues and I feel its well worth it.
Didn’t the Dems try and pass a bill requiring the rebates to go back to the companies that “overpaid” instead of into the BIAW’s coffers?
That would seem reasonable to try again. Returning money overpaid for worker’s comp to the companies that paid the money, rather than making it a forced political donation seems only fair. Basically saying that any of the administrative fees cannot be spent on political campaigns and candidates.
If the companies want to donate to the BIAW, they can.
Sure, there’s a little “payback” element to this, but if the righties are going to endlessly complain about union dues being used for lobbying, then you’d think they’d get behind this initiative. It’s not about, per se, defunding the BIAW, but righting a situation that should never have existed to begin with.
Puddy @5
I’m a proud ex-member of SEIU. As I had a much higher salary than most of their members (dues are a percentage of salary), I paid quite a bit into their war chest. They were selected to be our union after a previous union became very lame (not to be named).
It’s a great union, that works hard for it’s members and a big part of that involves lobbying on behalf of their membership. It’s part of the reason you belong to a union.
If BIAW wants to charge dues to it’s members, nobody is going to stop them. But as you know, that’s not what they’re doing.
I have a business in the construction industry. Because of this ridiculous ROI crap I have to pay thousands of dollars per more per year for my workers comp because I refuse to support BIAW.
I don’ know how to fix this but I know it needs to be fixed. I’ve looked at other associations that offer the ROI program but they’re all right wing wack jobs. I pisses me off, a lot. There has to be a better way.
@11 Why don’t you join the union with your
company, then all your dues could go to democrats. See how easy that was. While you
are doing that I’ll be spending my refund in
the Carribean on a 51′ Beneteau.
Personally, I think L&I should be disbanded in favor of just supplying the workers health
insurance that would cover them around the clock instead of just at work. In the case of
most construction jobs, the cost being quite expensive, it would be easy. Also, unemployment insurance should be voluntary i.e. the workers should be able to take the insurance or opt out and that money given to the employee tax free if it’s used for retirement plans or health insurance. I should be the god damn Governor.
In order to receive any of the ROII funds, a contractor has to join the local chapter of the BIA. Here in Kitsap, that’s around five hundred bucks a year. My guess is that a lot of contractors are joining just to get the rebate, whether they agree with the Neandertals or not. This amounts to blackmail IMHO. And FYI the employer pays about 80% to the employee’s 20% of the L & I premium (generally), so yes, the employees should be getting their share. There is no requirement, however, that the refund be shared, even though it’s the employee’s accident-free behavior on the job that is earning the return. The whole program is a ponzi scheme and needs overhaul.
@12 Are you stupid? There is no comparison between association dues and union dues. Associations do not negotiate pay levels, associations do not protect my rights. Unions do those things.