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| Hemingway |
| IBM executive launches attack on health plan
By Sam Hemingway Free Press Staff Writer Earl Mongeon of Westford, a 26-year manufacturing employee at IBM's Essex plant, had heard enough. The occasion was one of the internal "All Hands" meetings that the local plant's top man, John Ditoro, stages periodically to update the facility's 6,000 employees on how things are going at IBM in general and Essex in particular. DiToro has been using the current round of "All Hands" meetings to persuade workers to strongly critique a single-payer universal health care plan being put together by a legislative panel. DiToro told the meetings that the plan will require $1 billion in new taxes and he strongly encouraged employees to "let your legislators know what you think," according to an internal newsletter, which was provided to the Free Press by Sandy Anderson, a retired IBM employee. Mongeon, who belongs to the Communication Workers of America which is trying to unionize workers at the IBM plant against strong company opposition, said DiToro warned that the legislation, if passed, would drive businesses out of the state. "He was expressing his concern about what the potential negative impacts might be," said company spokesman Jeff Couture, without going into specifics about what DiToro said. Couture was speaking for DiToro who was unavailable for comment Monday. DiToro's claims bothered Mongeon, who said he was uncomfortable with what looked like a pre-emptive attack by the state's largest employer on a health care plan that has barely begun to take shape. So, when he got the chance to speak, Mongeon challenged DiToro's numbers. He said the $1 billion figure was money already being paid in employee health insurance premiums. Mongeon called DiToro's use of the number "a dirty trick." "It is not going to cost any more than it does now; it is just shifting the way it is paid." Mongeon, 49, said in an interview. To date, lawmakers working on the plan have not said how much it will cost, leaving that discussion for next year's Legislature to debate. Gov. Jim Douglas has said the plan would cost $2 billion in new taxes. Mongeon said it also bothered him that DiToro had used what was supposed to be an apolitical get-together to promote a political agenda. In addition to the health care plan, DiToro was critical of a renewable energy bill before the Legislature and urged workers to contact lawmakers about that issue as well. Couture said the "All Hands" meetings mostly focus on IBM products and performance, but said company positions on public issues like the Circumferential Highway and energy costs have been promoted at past gatherings. "As I saw it, what John was saying was 'Here are my views,'" Couture said. "'If you agree, or even if you don't, you ought to pay attention to this and get involved.'" On that, Mongeon could agree. "We still have rights in this country," he said. "If you don't get up and say something, who will?" A final thought. DiToro's speech to IBM's employees is early evidence of the fight that awaits any plan to enact universal health care in Vermont. It's also proof of just how powerful some of the opponents will be. Contact Sam Hemingway, state news columnist, at 660-1850 or e-mail at shemingway@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com |