Insert graphic here:
width: 175px
height: 64px
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
October 2005 — Vol. 83, No. 8 Working for youHow CBIA helps members be more competitive
It’s been many years since Connecticut employers have seen such an antibusiness proposal get approved by committee after committee at the General Assembly. Earlier this year, legislators in three committees — Labor, Finance and Human Services — agreed to impose a stiff fee on certain-size companies whose employee health benefits are not as generous as state employees’. Virtually no private-sector employer in the country offers benefits that rich. Yet the so-called “pay or play” health benefits bill stayed alive on the legislative agenda until June 8, the very last day of the 2005 session. The proposal finally died, thanks in good measure to persistent lobbying by a CBIA-led business coalition and a groundswell of objections from businesspeople. “Businesses using our Web site sent thousands of e-mails to legislators on the pay-or-play bill. And it was the No. 1 topic brought up at a meeting we held between legislators and businesspeople at Manufacturing & Technology Day in May,” says Joe Brennan, CBIA senior vice president for public policy. “Even businesses that weren’t directly affected by the bill were very vocal in opposing it.” Speaking out for Connecticut businesses at the state Capitol and giving businesses ways to make their own voices heard there are the chief ways in which CBIA helps member companies become more competitive. But the association also provides dozens of direct services to members, including employee benefit plans, group purchasing, training and business consulting, and Connecticut-specific information on business and economic issues. As a member, your company automatically receives some of these services, one example being the CBIA News. But other services — including some offered at no charge, such as the “Call Us First!” telephone consulting service — begin only when you request them. Following is an overview of the many ways CBIA has helped members like you this year. Advocating for your interestsCBIA has been an advocate for Connecticut businesses for 190 years — originally focusing on Middletown manufacturers but now representing businesses of all kinds and sizes, statewide. Being the state’s largest, most experienced business group gives CBIA credibility at the state legislature and regulatory agencies. That turned out to be especially crucial earlier this year. Connecticut had not only a new governor but also new Democratic leaders in both houses of the General Assembly, as well as contentious issues on the legislative agenda. CBIA lobbyists successfully fended off nearly 200 harmful bills, including the pay-or-play health benefits proposal. They also persuaded legislators to approve bills that will improve energy costs, transportation, technology, economic development and education (see box, right). Making your own voice heardBusinesspeople who want to contact state legislators and regulatory officials firsthand get help with the legwork from CBIA. This year, for instance, the association held breakfast meetings around the state that allowed businesspeople to meet informally with legislators. And our Web site, cbia.com, enabled businesspeople and their employees to send 5,000 e-mail messages to legislators. Members also interact with government officials at CBIA-sponsored events such as the annual Connecticut Business Day in March and the biannual Manufacturing & Technology Day in May. And CBIA’s 14 member councils involve business leaders in developing public policy recommendations in areas such as small business, manufacturing, business taxes, workplace safety, labor and employment issues, environmental compliance, and other topics. Access to our expertiseAny member can get free expert answers to questions about many of those same topics simply by picking up the phone. More than 8,000 members took advantage of this “Call Us First!” telephone consulting service in the past year. Other sources of information available to members are:
Other print and electronic publications are available at special member pricing. They include survey reports, employer’s guides to employment laws, OSHA standards, a Connecticut manufacturing directory, legally required workplace posters, human resource forms, and employee handbook software. See the CBIA Store at cbia.com for a complete listing. Holding down benefit costsOffering good employee benefits at an affordable cost is a goal that eludes many small businesses — but not CBIA members. One of the biggest benefits of belonging to CBIA is that smaller businesses have the purchasing clout usually wielded only by very large companies. For 10 years now, CBIA’s smaller members have been able to offer their employees a wide range of affordably priced health benefit plans through CBIA Health Connections. Available to members with three to 100 employees, Health Connections lets employees choose from more than 25 benefit plan designs offered by four leading health insurance carriers (CIGNA HealthCare, ConnectiCare, Health Net and Oxford Health Plans). This year, CBIA introduced Health Connections 2 for member companies with three to 50 employees that need to substantially lower their health insurance costs. HC2 offers even lower-cost options than Health Connections, including Health Savings Account–compatible plans. More than 5,000 member companies participated in CBIA’s health insurance programs this year. And more than 1,400 of those companies took advantage of CBIA’s COBRA/State Continuation Administration service, which is provided upon request at no additional charge to CBIA’s insurance members. Other insurance options for members participating in CBIA’s health benefit programs include:
Group purchasing powerCBIA’s group purchasing power gives members affordable ways to offer other employee benefits too. CBIA Retirement Plans, offered in conjunction with ING, features 401(k) and other types of retirement products. CBIA Home & Auto Insurance gives members’ employees discounts on personal insurance coverage, at no cost to the employer. The CBIA/ECPA Eyewear Savings Plan provides discounts on eyeglasses, contact lenses, safety glasses and laser vision-correction surgery. The low annual fee ($12 per employee) includes dependents at no additional cost. Members also save money on other types of products and services besides employee benefits. With the CBIA Group Purchasing Program, for instance, members realize instant savings through contracts negotiated by CBIA for office supplies, office furniture and equipment, safety supplies, manufacturing supplies, freight and shipping services, and professional services such as pre-employment screening and online job recruiting through CareerBuilder.com. Getting the best price for energyIdentifying which natural gas supplier offers the best price at any given moment, and then locking in that price, can take a lot of research — something most businesses don’t have the time or expertise to do. CBIA Energy Connections brings suppliers to you. It uses a secure Internet auction site where Connecticut-approved gas suppliers actively compete for your business with up-to-the-minute quotes. Currently 290 members use Energy Connections to for their natural gas purchases. Help with worker trainingCBIA’s open-enrollment workshops, conferences and on-site training programs, specially priced for members, help companies keep their employees’ skills competitive. The association’s employment experts, for instance, will travel anywhere in the state, and even to members’ out-of-state facilities, to conduct on-site training on a variety of human resources and workplace safety topics, such as sexual harassment prevention and facility safety assessments. In some industries — notably manufacturing and technology — the need to continuously train employees in new technologies and processes or to fill skill shortages is so acute that many companies can’t afford to foot the entire training bill. Knowing this, the CBIA Education Foundation applies for government and private-sector grants to help companies meet their workforce development needs. This year the Education Foundation administered 10 education and job training grant programs, including a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to help increase the supply of highly skilled chemistry, biology and engineering workers for the biomedical, bioscience and pharmaceutical industries. And several grants enabled the Education Foundation to help 13 companies retain and advance the skills of their lower-wage workers. In all, 136 members participated in CBIA’s workforce development programs. If you have any general questions about member services, e-mail Joe Dias or call him at 860-244-1900. For more information about specific services, contact the appropriate staff members listed on Page 5.
Related articles
|
|
 |
© Copyright 2003 Connecticut Business & Industry Association, cbia.com. All rights reserved. |
 |