A change in contract for active employees filters down to retired cops.
By: Emily Craighead
WEST WINDSOR Members of Police Benevolent Association 271 and the township administration have yet to resolve a contract dispute over retirees’ health benefits.
The dispute began in January, when retired members of the township police force found themselves having to shell out $5 for generic drugs and $12 for brand-name drugs at the pharmacy instead of the $2 co-pay stipulated in the 1995 contract under which they retired.
"We found out about it the hard way," retired Detective Sgt. Barry Hibbs said.
Business Administrator Christopher Marion said Monday the township is researching past contracts to determine if the change in the contract for active employees allows the township to change the co-pay for retirees.
However, in an April 22 letter to Patrolman Carey Zacheis, president of PBA 271, Mr. Marion wrote that language in "the contract indicates that retirees will be subject to the same co-pays and/or reimbursements as existing employees covered under the current contract."
The disputed word, according to Mr. Hibbs, is "current." The retirees maintain "prescription coverage as currently provided" refers to terms agreed to in the 1995 contract.
This, he said, was "as clear as a high-definition plasma TV."
Mr. Hibbs made the contract complaint public on behalf of retired members of PBA 271 at the April 25 Township Council meeting. He said the township failed to provide a satisfactory and timely response to members’ complaints.
"The big issue is the principle and what are they going to do next," Mr. Hibbs said in a phone interview Thursday.
The co-pay increase was part of a contract reached through a Public Employment Relations Commission negotiator for active members of PBA 271 and accompanied a pay increase, Mr. Hibbs said. Retirees were not part of those negotiations.
Mr. Marion said the township has yet to finalize its interpretation of the contract language.
"What I have to do is go back and look at the contracts they retired under and find out how those were determined," Mr. Marion said.

