Unions plan to picket Cicilline fundraiser

UPDATE: The city responds.

Here's a comment from Rich Kerbel, Cicilline's director of administration, responding to the union concerns:

"While the administrator of the City’s health plan will change, the coverage itself will remain the same. Ninety-seven percent of Rhode Island primary care physicians who treat City employees are already in the UnitedHealthcare network. One hundred percent of the hospitals -- including Emergency Departments -- in Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts are in the network as well. In this economic climate, continuing to be able to provide this high level of health care for city employees while saving taxpayers millions is a significant accomplishment."

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In what Paul Doughty, president of the Providence firefighters' union, calls an unprecedented degree of municipal labor agreement, all six municipal unions in Providence plan to picket a young professionals' fundraiser tomorrow (5:30 pm, at Waterplace) for Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline.

Doughty says the unions -- the Laborers; the PTA; the FOP; the IAFF; the clerical workers; and the school administrators -- will stage informational pickets because of concerns about possible gaps in coverage as health coverage for city employees is switched from Blue Cross to United HealthCare.

He calls the demonstration "the first time in modern history that all six unions have been on the same page, at the same place."

Cicilline has hailed the health-care switch as a big win for the city:

Mayor David N. Cicilline’s administration says the three-year contract will save $7.8 million for the city, which is splitting its health-care administration in two; United will administer health claims for the self-insured city, and CVS/Caremark will handle prescription drug coverage.

The city’s unions, however, are not taking the switch well. They fear that city employees will not have as many options in choosing doctors under United. The unions representing municipal employees and teachers say they are wary of switching, and want more information from the city. Cicilline’s critics in the city’s firefighters union say they will definitely challenge the move, either in court or before an arbitrator.

I've left a message for Ciciline spokewoman Karen Southern, and will post her response if and when she responds.