Don Nickles: “A couple comments. The average length of collective bargaining agreements: 66 percent of collective bargaining…”

“A couple comments. The average length of collective bargaining agreements: 66 percent of collective bargaining agreements with over 1,000 employees--that is over 1,200 collective bargaining agreements--the average length is 3 to 5 years; 28 percent are 5 to 6 years; an additional 7 percent are 6 to 8 years. My point is these things last for years. People renegotiate their health care plan. Federal employees do this every year. Almost everybody does it every year. So for the health care plan for everybody else in the private sector, you have to comply by next October, 12 months from now, maybe even January of next year; you will have to comply. But if you are in a collective bargaining plan, you wait until the plan terminates. We asked the Department of Labor, does the plan terminate if renegotiated and rolled over? Not necessarily. In collective bargaining, you are talking about 30 million Americans who will not receive the so-called benefits under this bill. That is a fact. Another fact: My colleague said we supported an amendment by Senator Collins that said let the States use their State protections. I strongly agree with that. That is a reason I will vote against the underlying bill, because I don't think we should preempt States as the Kennedy-McCain bill does.”