Obamacare Cuts Paychecks

  ‘One Of The Harsh Consequences Is Smaller Paychecks For Some Working People,’ ‘Threatens The Middle Class’

Struggling To Make Ends Meet:‘I’ll Have To Get A Third Job’

UNION: “...facts are facts, and Obamacare will cost our members the equivalent of a significant pay cut to keep their hard-won benefits.” (D. Taylor, UNITE HERE, Cover Letter For UH Leaders, 3/14)

• Obamacare “...consequences will hit the average, hard-working American where it hurts: in the wallet.” (D. Taylor, UNITE HERE, Cover Letter For UH Leaders, 3/14)
• “...the ACA threatens the middle class with higher premiums, loss of hours, and a shift to part-time work and less comprehensive coverage.” (“The Irony Of ObamaCare: Making Inequality Worse,” UNITE HERE, 3/14)

KS: “Over a dozen hospital employees in Emporia are out of a job. ... cuts come from the ‘negative financial impacts of the Affordable Care Act.’” ANCHOR: “Over a dozen hospital employees in Emporia are out of a job. The cuts at Newman Regional Health hospital in Emporia are due to a projected $3.5 million loss this year. Newman Regional Health said in a press release today the cuts come from the ‘negative financial impacts of the Affordable Care Act.’ 10 full time employees and 5 part time employees will be laid off permanently. The staff cut is expected to save the hospital $1 million annually.” (KTKA-KS, 4/2/14)

KY: “KentuckyOne Health… announced it would slash 700 jobs last week as fewer patients fill its beds. Many of those eliminated jobs were inside hospitals, the system's CEO says, and the cuts are partially in response to the Affordable Care Act…” (“Reform Update: ACA Partly To Blame For KentuckyOne Job Cuts, CEO Says,” Modern Healthcare, 3/5/14)

KY: Hospital cutting ‘between 39 and 49 employees’ “T.J. Samson Community Hospital today announced that it will cut between 39 and 49 employees. … Interim CEO Henry Royse said the difficult decisions were based on a couple of factors, including a costly roll out of a inadequate financial software program and the impact of the Affordable Care Act.” (“T.J. Samson Cutting Jobs,” Bowling Green Daily News, 4/16/14)

NC: Hundreds of substitute teachers see hours cut. TEACHER: “I need the money. I need to work. I’m willing and able to work and now they’re telling me you can only work for so long.” ANCHOR: “Substitute teachers are trying to find ways to substitute their incomes after recent cuts.” CO-ANCHOR: “Yes, it’s been a month since we first told you the school districts would limit work days for subs to under 30 hours a week, all because of the affordable healthcare act. So what is the impact it’s having?  One sub is now wondering how she will continue to survive and make ends meet without that income. Spending time at home with her dog and cat is what Jordan Banjo of Rainville has more time to do lately. Although she has two jobs, one at a local coffee shop and the other as a Pitt County substitute teacher.” ... BANJO: “I need the money. I need to work. I’m willing and able to work and now they’re telling me you can only work for so long.” CO-ANCHOR: “Pitt County school spokesman Brock Letchworth says it’s because of the affordable healthcare act.” LETCHWORTH: “The cost for us would be to provide health insurance for everyone, we’re looking at just over one million dollars, is what I’m told, and that’s the lowest [possible] cost to this school system.” CO-ANCHOR: “He says there are about 400 subs in the district.” (WITN-NC, 3/25/14)

GA: ‘Roughly 130 county workers’ face ‘smaller paychecks’ “Many supporters of Obamacare failed to acknowledge the negative aspects of the president’s signature legislation. One of the harsh consequences is smaller paychecks for some working people. Last Friday, some government employees for Chatham County learned that their wages will shrink as the County Commission approved changes to the county’s personnel policies to hold down the cost of health insurance. Commissioners voted to cut the work hours of part-time, seasonal and temporary workers … The reason? To make sure no one works more than 30 hours a week. ... Roughly 130 county workers — lifeguards, summertime employees in the recreation programs, Board of Registrars and Board of Equalization employees — apparently work more than 30 hours weekly, but less than 32 hours and aren’t eligible for benefits.” (Editorial, “Obamacare Shrinks Chatham County Paychecks,” Savannah Morning News, 4/28/14)

• “‘I already work two jobs, so that means I’ll have to get a third job in order to suffice for the hours I’ll end up losing here,’ said Mananna Terrell, 26-year-old lifeguard who works part-time at the Aquatic Center.” (Editorial, “Obamacare Shrinks Chatham County Paychecks,” Savannah Morning News, 4/28/14)

NC: ‘more than 100 CaroMont health nurses learn this week they’re going to lose a portion of their pay ... the change was made to comply with the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate’ ANCHOR: “Well more than 100 CaroMont health nurses learn this week they’re going to lose a portion of their pay. The hospital said it is stopping a policy that gives some nurses additional pay instead of health insurance and other benefits. CareMont said the change was made to comply with the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate requiring businesses to offer medical coverage to employees who work 30 or more hours per week.” (WSOC-NC, 4/19/14)

MI: Hospital ‘will lay off 15 employees and eight others will see reduced hours’ ANCHOR: “The Mackinac Straits health system has become the third northern Michigan hospital in the last four weeks to announce layoffs and cuts to balance their budget. The hospital CEO says these moves are necessary to keep up with state and federal healthcare reform standards.” ... REPORTER: “The hospital announced it will lay off 15 employees and eight others will see reduced hours.” (WBPN-MI, 3/27/14)

NJ Professor: ‘The Affordable Care Act, rather than making health care affordable … is making it more unaffordable… our hours are being cut, which means our income is being cut’ “William J. Lipkin, an adjunct professor of American history and political science at Union County College in Cranford, N.J., said: ‘The Affordable Care Act, rather than making health care affordable for adjunct faculty members, is making it more unaffordable. Colleges are not giving us access to health care, and our hours are being cut, which means our income is being cut. We are losing on both ends.’” (“Public Sector Cuts Part-Time Shifts To Bypass Insurance Law,” The New York Times, 2/20/14)

OH: “The University of Akron, in Ohio, has cut back the hours of 400 part-time faculty members who were teaching more than 29 hours a week, said Eileen Korey, a spokeswoman for the school. ‘We have more than 1,000 part-time faculty,’ Ms. Korey said. ‘Four hundred would have qualified for health insurance. That would add costs that we cannot afford.’” (“Public Sector Cuts Part-Time Shifts To Bypass Insurance Law,” The New York Times, 2/20/14)

MD Business Owner: ‘Keeping the number of full time employees here to 49 ... The reason? The affordable healthcare law’ ANCHOR: “Taxes because of Obamacare on the minds of many small business owners.  Our national correspondent Kristine Frazao takes a look at what companies will need to do to pay them or avoid them.”  FRAZAO: “Step into Snider’s grocery store and you may feel like you’ve stepped back in time. Family owned and operated since 1946, it continues to thrive. Now the owner of the store would not speak to me on camera but he did tell me over the phone that like so many other small businesses around the country he’s keeping the number of full time employees here to 49. Manager Terry Sweet is one of them, and says that number will not be getting any bigger. The reason? The affordable healthcare law’s provision requiring businesses with 50 or more full time employees to provide health coverage.” (WBFF-MD, 4/12/14)

PA: Part-time ‘cuts affected prison guards and emergency service personnel’ “Lawrence County, in western Pennsylvania, reduced the limit for part-time employees to 28 hours a week, from 32. Dan Vogler, the Republican chairman of the county Board of Commissioners, said the cuts affected prison guards and emergency service personnel at the county’s 911 call center.” (“Public Sector Cuts Part-Time Shifts To Bypass Insurance Law,” The New York Times, 2/20/14)

OH: City limited hours for ‘office clerks, sanitation workers, park inspectors and police dispatchers’ and their ‘wages were reduced accordingly’ “In Medina, Ohio, about 30 miles south of Cleveland, Mayor Dennis Hanwell said the city had lowered the limit for part-time employees to 29 hours a week, from 35. Workers’ wages were reduced accordingly, he said. ‘Our choice was to cut the hours or give them health care, and we could not afford the latter,’ Mr. Hanwell, a Republican, said. The city’s 120 part-time employees include office clerks, sanitation workers, park inspectors and police dispatchers.” (“Public Sector Cuts Part-Time Shifts To Bypass Insurance Law,” The New York Times, 2/20/14)

---

Tags: Obamacare, suts paychecks, smaller paychecks, less hours To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!