The VEBA decision Why are employees being asked to vote on the VEBA and why are we doing this in groups?
the Internal Revenue Service requires that employees act as a group to make an HRA VEBA decision. There are many ways in which the decision can be made – voting is the most common approach.
How are the groups organized?
A bargaining unit is defined as a group by the IRS. Bargaining units are allowed to decide the criteria and methods for voting on HRA VEBA. Bargaining unit HRA VEBA votes are generally made by mailed ballot or at a membership meeting.
Nonrepresented employees are organized into a group for purposes of voting on HRA VEBA. Nonrepresented employees in executive departments and the offices of the Assessor, County Council, District Court, Prosecuting Attorney, Sheriff and Superior Court are organized into the King County Employees VEBA Group. To be eligible to vote in the 2009 Nonrepresented King County Employees VEBA Group, an employee must have been born in 1961 or earlier and be a member of PERS, LEOFF 2, PSERS or the Seattle City Employees Retirement System. The outcome of the vote is determined by a simple majority.
Do bargaining units have vote eligibilty criteria? It's entirely up to individual bargaining units to make that decision. When will employees get to reconsider HRA VEBA?
Many represented employees will vote in accordance with the instructions provided by their labor organization. Voting instructions for nonrepresented employees will be disseminated this spring through e-mail communications. The current three-year VEBA term expires on December 31, 2012. If the current VEBA benefit or additional VEBA benefits are voted in by either represented or nonrepresented employees, it will be for another three-year term beginning on January 1, 2013. |
