In an article published in The Washington Examiner, Byron York explains some of the added benefits of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's budget plan and his curtailment of some areas formerly open to public union negotiations.
The contract required the school district to purchase health insurance from a company called WEA Trust. The creation of Wisconsin's largest teachers union -- "WEA" stands for Wisconsin Education Association -- WEA Trust made money when union officials used collective bargaining agreements to steer profitable business its way.
The problem for Hartland-Lakeside was that WEA Trust was charging significantly higher rates than the school district could find on the open market. School officials knew that because they got a better deal from United HealthCare for coverage of nonunion employees...
But even with the teachers on board, when school officials presented a change-in-coverage proposal to union officials, it was immediately rejected...
That's where Wisconsin's new budget law came in...
...the school district has changed insurers...
Insurance costs that had been about $2.5 million a year will now be around $1.8 million.
Pewaukee School District, not far from Hartland-Lakeside, will save $378,000 by next year...
The Menomonee Falls School District, farther north, will reportedly save $1.3 million.
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