The Bloomberg administration has taken its first step toward slashing health-care benefits for city workers by $200 million – a plan announced in the mayor’s preliminary 2008 budget.
During a meeting Thursday, Labor Commissioner James Hanley submitted a list of proposed changes to the Municipal Labor Committee, which bargains health-care rights for the city’s more than 300,000 teachers, cops, firefighters and other workers.
“This is the beginning of a process,” Hanley told The Post.
The mayor has argued that cutting the city’s health-care obligations would help shore up projected budget gaps of $4.2 billion in 2010, $5.6 billion in 2011, and $5.3 billion in 2012.
The suggested health-care cuts for city workers must be approved by the unions and will undoubtedly be the subject of hardball negotiations. The changes include a plan to require workers to contribute more toward their premiums and co-pays.