Despite Budget Cuts, Layoff Fears, Milwaukee Teachers Fight for Taxpayer-Funded ViagraRead the rest here.
With the district in a financial crisis and hundreds of its members facing layoffs, the Milwaukee teachers union is taking a peculiar stand: fighting to get their taxpayer-funded Viagra back.
The union has asked a judge to order the school board to again include Pfizer Inc.'s erectile dysfunction drug and similar pills in its health insurance plans.
The filing is the latest in a two-year legal campaign in which the union has argued, so far unsuccessfully, that the board's policy of excluding erectile dysfunction drugs discriminates against male employees. The union says Viagra, Cialis, Levitra and others are necessary treatment for "an exclusively gender-related condition."
But lawyers for the school board say the drugs were excluded in 2005 to save money, and there is no discrimination because they are used primarily for recreational sex and not out of medical necessity.
The filing last month comes as the union, the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association, is also protesting hundreds of layoff notices issued to teachers for the coming school year. Citing a "financial crisis" caused by exploding benefit costs and revenue shortfalls, the district's outgoing superintendent proposed laying off 682 employees in April.
Okay - lemme get this straight. The district gave layoff notices to 482 teachers in June (eventually recalling 89), yet the union is in a legal battle about VIAGRA??? Well, it's certainly nice to know that they have their priorities!
How embarrassing for Milwaukee and for Wisconsin. *sigh*
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Ah yes, but why did these teachers get laid off? Because the rank and file refused to accept a change in their insurance company.
ReplyDeleteIn short they voted to screw over those with less seniority and demanded to stay with the plan that did not allow their little blue pills.
The union is doing right thing as it saying judge to include erectile dysfunction drugs in its health insurance plans.
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