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City Hall gets served: Employee files grievance

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by Courtney Johnson

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

A city employee filed a grievance with City Hall last week citing Madison's refusal to give insurance benefits to employees' domestic partners.

Scott Matthews, a property appraiser with the city assessor's office, said he has been discussing domestic-partner benefits with the city since last summer.

"Enough time has elapsed in trying to compromise with the city that we just essentially have to make it a formal complaint," Matthews said in an interview.

While the city does not offer insurance for domestic partners, it does offer employees a plan in which they can be reimbursed up to the price difference between the cost of a family plan and a single plan each month.

Matthews said a major issue that arises for city employees with domestic partners is what to do upon retirement, since the reimbursement plan does not apply to retired employees.

"If you are working for the county and you have a registered domestic partner insured under the Dane County health-insurance program, then that partner will also be covered into that employee's retirement," Matthews said. "That is not an option at all with the city."

But George Twigg, communications director for Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, said the city is unable to offer full domestic-partner benefits through a health plan because the state does not allow it.

"What we really want to see happen is for the state to redefine 'dependents' to include domestic partners," Twigg said, adding that he hopes an increased Democratic presence in the state Legislature will help make the necessary changes to give equal benefits to domestic partners.

Until that happens, Twigg said the city's reimbursement plan does help ease the financial burden of paying for health insurance.

"It's a very expensive program, but the mayor feels it's the right thing to do, and he's willing to put his money where his mouth is," Twigg said.

Dane County can offer its employees full domestic-partner benefits because it dropped out of the state-sponsored health-care plan. Matthews said he feels the best option for city health care would be for it to merge with the county's plan.

"In the long run, it could be more work, but it could also cost the city less money," Matthews said.

Twigg said the mayor is hesitant to take this step, since it would mean many city employees would need to change doctors and have medical records transferred.

"We're very reluctant to disrupt employees' health care like that," Twigg said.

Ray Allen, who is one of three candidates running against Cieslewicz for mayor this spring, said he would be willing to consider various options for incorporating insurance benefits.

"We were one of the first municipalities in the state to offer domestic partner benefits," Allen said. "I would look at whatever options that were cost-efficient and would not be disruptive to any current employees or contractual relationships."

Matthews said he feels the city's lack of domestic-partner insurance benefits conflicts with Cieslewicz's pro-domestic-partner stance on issues such as last year's state marriage amendment.

"It's putting a price tag on our equality," Matthews said.

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