(Des Moines) - Today, the Department of Management released the following information related to cost avoidance the State of Iowa obtained by entering into aggressive, professional negotiations with AFSCME.

Key elements of new state contract with the AFSCME bargaining unit:

1.       0% across-the-board (ATB) raise for FY 14 and 0% ATB for FY 15

2.       Annual STEP increases for FY 14 and FY 15 included

3.       No change in health insurance

Total cost of new AFSCME contract for FY 14 and FY 15:

General Fund:                   $56 million

All State Funds:                 $107 million

Key elements of Governor Culver's AFSCME contract for FY 12 and FY 13:

1.       2.5% ATB raise for FY 12 and 2.5% ATB for FY 13

2.       Annual STEP increases for FY 12 and FY 13 included

3.       No change in health insurance

Total cost of Culver AFSCME contract (if applied to our current workforce):

General Fund:                   $104 million

All State Funds:                 $202 million

Savings to State of Iowa resulting from new AFSCME contract:

General Fund:                   $48 million

All State Funds:                 $94 million

According to available data, the FY 14 -15 AFSCME contract represents the first time since the inception of public sector collective bargaining in Iowa that the State has successfully negotiated no across the board pay increases in both years of a contract. Clearly, Iowa taxpayers have benefitted from having a seat at the table during the collective bargaining process with Iowa public sector unions.

The State's Position in Arbitration:

The State and ASFSCME agreed on 0% ATB raise for by FY 14 and FY 15.

The State and AFSCME agreed on annual STEP increases for FY 14 and FY 15.

The State and AFSCME reached an impasse on health insurance.  The arbitrator ruled in favor of the AFSCME position regarding health insurance.

The State's final offer on health insurance was a 20% employee contribution for all health plans. Employees would have the opportunity to earn a credit of $90 per month towards their share of the health insurance premium by participating in a wellness program.

The State's final offer on health insurance still exceeded the average of other states when the wellness premium incentive is included.  In comparing Iowa's wage and benefits using data provided by the National Compensation Association of State Governments:

• The employer-paid value of the State of Iowa's status quo health insurance benefit is ranked first when compared to other states.
• The average base pay of State of Iowa employees is 33% above the base pay of other state government employees.
• The average total compensation (wages and benefits) of State of Iowa employees is 27.5% higher than the total compensation of other state government employees.

Had the arbitrator ruled in favor of the State's offer regarding health benefits, the State had estimated additional cost avoidance of approximately $45 million over the 2 years of the contract.

Not too long ago - just after World War II - few people in the United States brushed their teeth with any regularity. Now, the mere thought of going an entire day or night without brushing one's teeth is simply out of the question for most.

Hopefully, someday in the near future, a similar attitude will prevail regarding mental well-being, says Dr. Matt Mumber, an oncologist and author of "Sustainable Wellness: An Integrative Approach to Transform Your Mind, Body, and Spirit," (www.sustainablewellnessonline.com), coauthored by Yoga therapist Heather Reed.

"Human happiness and well-being are rudderless without awareness, which I define as the quality of paying attention to what's going on in the present moment from an inquisitive, nonjudgmental and focused perspective," he says.

An easy way to think of optimal wellbeing might be to envision a three-legged stool, says Reed.

"The three legs include physical activity, nutrition and that underappreciated component missing from too many Americans' lives - stress management, or a healthy mental state," she says.

After checking off a healthy diet and exercise from the list, how does one go about ensuring a healthy mind? Mumber and Reed say the key is mindfulness, which they define as paying attention on purpose, non-judgmentally and as though your life depended on it. Framed another way, mindfulness means focusing on something without trying to change it, like the sky holding passing clouds without clinging to them.

They describe the states necessary for attaining mindfulness:

• Beginner's mind is the ability to see things with new eyes. The Bible warns against putting new wine in old wine skins - doing so risks tainting the new stock. A beginner's mind opens people to the world of possibilities that exist in the present moment. That does not mean throwing away good ideas from the past; rather, it means to entertain new ideas with a truly open sensibility.

• Trust: Believe in your authority to know your own body, thoughts and feelings. We need to have the confidence necessary to trust that our thoughts and feelings at any given moment have value.

• Non-judging is the ability to see things for what they are, to hold an open and neutral place for whatever comes up within and around you, without thinking of anything as categorically better or worse than anything else.

• Patience is a willingness to continue with the process of paying attention on purpose even when it appears that no progress is being made. Learning and growing through mindful practice happens with time, and we can't force the outcome.

• Acceptance refers to allowing whatever comes up in the moment to be held in our field of awareness. This is not the same as giving up or being passive; acceptance is merely acknowledgement.

• Letting go is refusing to attach to specific thoughts, feelings or behaviors. This can feel like losing something, but every time we let go, we open ourselves to something new and, potentially, deeper.

• Non-striving: In our goal-oriented society, this may seem counterintuitive. However, non-striving refers only to practicing mindfulness without expectation of some future goal or dream, which helps us better live in the now.

"By having our three-legged stool firmly planted in awareness, we can drop into what we typically call a sense of spiritual wellbeing,' says Mumber.

About Matt Mumber, MD & Heather Reed

Matt Mumber, MD, is a practicing board-certified radiation oncologist with the Harbin Clinic in Rome, Ga. He completed his radiation oncology residency at Wake Forest University Bowman Gray School of Medicine and graduated from the Associate Fellowship Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. Dr. Mumber is past president of the Georgia Society of Clinical Oncology. He founded Cancer Navigators Inc, a non-profit organization offering cancer patients access to nurse navigation, social services and educational programs to support and augment the clinical care they receive. Dr. Mumber received the Hamilton Jordan Founders Award for involvement in statewide oncology activities and in 2008 he was named a Health Care Hero by Georgia Trend magazine.

"On Being a UU", especially good for new UU's but also good for those who just want to think more about being a member of this congregation. A sign-up list will be available in the lobby. Please contact John Dunsheath (j.dunsheath@aol.com) if you are interested or have questions.

It starts the first Wednesday in March, goes for 8 weeks, and will be in the rope room, just at the end of the stairs where the older kids hang out.

Mark Your Calendar!

The next environmental film to be shown is Fresh, on Friday, March 8 at 6:30pm, at the UUQC. Note this is a week later than usual. It also coincides with the regular game night (5:30pm), and new member potluck (6pm), therefore the movie will be shown in the boardroom.

Both an enlightening documentary and a stirring call to action, FRESH outlines the vicious cycle of our current food production methods, while also celebrating the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are reinventing our food system.

• Starring: Ytit Chauhan, David Ball
• Directed by: Ana Sofia Joanes
• Runtime: 1 hour 11 minutes

This movie showing is available thanks to the Eagle View Sierra Club!