If You're a Smoker Get Ready to Pay a Bit More for your Habit...
- added October 16, 2007
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- rmaisel
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If youre a smoker and work for Tribune Co., get ready to pay $100 per month for your habit. Starting in 08 Tribune is assessing this new fee, along with a $75/month for spousal coverage.
Tribune Company spokesman Gary Weitman defended the move by saying, We pay the lion's share of medical expenses and we have a responsibility to contain those costs. We are and have been doing everything we can; it is a shared responsibility between employees and the company.
The new assessment however has drawn union fire as two Teamster locals at The Sun of Baltimore have already filed a grievance against Tribune claiming the fee, violates a contract provision limiting health care premium increases to 4% per year.
Bill Salganik, president of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild and a Sun reporter claims that, (other) employers try to encourage healthy living, but they do it in a constructive way by developing programs for weight management and smoking cessation. But Tribune immediately went negative."
However, a friend of mine (who works for Tribune) stated that as she scanned through this new policy found that, they pay for your smoking cessation programs, and if you complete it you don't have to pay the smokers' fee.
What are your thoughts?
Are these new fees just a hidden premium? Or does Tribune mean to promote good health through what theyre now calling a wellness initiative? And does it stop with just a smoker fee? Or do companies begin assessing alcohol taxes or even fast food taxes?
Tribune Company spokesman Gary Weitman defended the move by saying, We pay the lion's share of medical expenses and we have a responsibility to contain those costs. We are and have been doing everything we can; it is a shared responsibility between employees and the company.
The new assessment however has drawn union fire as two Teamster locals at The Sun of Baltimore have already filed a grievance against Tribune claiming the fee, violates a contract provision limiting health care premium increases to 4% per year.
Bill Salganik, president of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild and a Sun reporter claims that, (other) employers try to encourage healthy living, but they do it in a constructive way by developing programs for weight management and smoking cessation. But Tribune immediately went negative."
However, a friend of mine (who works for Tribune) stated that as she scanned through this new policy found that, they pay for your smoking cessation programs, and if you complete it you don't have to pay the smokers' fee.
What are your thoughts?
Are these new fees just a hidden premium? Or does Tribune mean to promote good health through what theyre now calling a wellness initiative? And does it stop with just a smoker fee? Or do companies begin assessing alcohol taxes or even fast food taxes?
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