I have always supported labor and continue to do so.... [View all]

[defacto7]

Even though my personal experience has been close to appalling, I understand the importance of unions and support of workers rights which certainly trumps my little world where it was not favorable.

I worked in the classical performance industry for quite a few years (I say classical for lack of a better term) and was a card carrying member of AGMA. Over the years I imagine they received more than $50,000 from my work through dues and insurance programs but I don't want to go into all the details but just share one. When I discontinued my career, I had a health insurance setup that is mandatory for all members. I had a balance of about $6800 in supplemental health insurance waiting for my one page application to apply for medical reimbursement. Over the years, I applied several times for repayment of medical items, doctor, primary insurance policies and whatnot, all applicable expenses. I have to date received $0.

Upon application, the printout they send back has a 2 character declined code for one reason or another. Once I sent in 10 pages of receipts and personal medical policy information... denied. In each case I tried to contact the offices of those who AGMA has hired to process their claims... no answer, on hold and no answer, recorded messages, no return calls, nothing.

A couple of years ago I gave up. It was a useless waste of time and my life didn't depend of the claim so I just stopped trying.

I got a statement today from AGMA Health Fund Plan B which starts with the words, "We are pleased to provide you with this statement..... blah, blah... Your closing balance: $388.28. They had been taking $500 per year out of the account for administrative costs. They didn't pay for a $200 pair of glasses because of a paperwork technicality yet they Blythely removed $500 a year for their expenses from my contributions.

Yes, I knew they were doing this, but since I gave up on pleading on my knees for my own insurance proceeds I just watched the amount dwindle to this.

Does anyone think the AFL-CIO or AGMA should be embarrassed by this long term behavior? I would think members of legitimate union affiliations would be embarrassed by such activities by other affiliates connected to their union. But this is the way AGMA has been run for all the many years I have been with it. It was useless and expensive and never gave me one break along the way. And now that my affiliation will automatically terminate by their own forfeiture provisions, their having cashed in on my contributions over the many years of my career without paying me a dime......

I say... fuck you AGMA!

Comments welcome.... I know most of you have been treated well but there are union problem fronts that make unions look pretty bad. This post is not meant to step on toes, it's meant to raise a flag, to ask others to keep an eye out for protection from the protectors and to make it right.