Health insurance remains one of the most important benefits for union construction workers, but as costs continue to spiral, more collective bargaining agreements must tilt money to health and welfare benefit funds than to workers' take-home pay. In some cases, these increases now outstrip—or replace—wage gains. Labor leaders, management represen-tatives, union business agents and rank-and-file members all agree that the problem is escalating out of control. But among construction crafts, opinions differ on how to fix, or even address, runaway costs. Many are seeking ways to boost their buying power. "It overshadows everything else in collective bargaining," says Stephen F. Kelly, plumbers' union assistant general president.
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机译：健康保险仍然是工会建筑工人最重要的福利之一，但是随着成本不断攀升，更多的集体谈判协议必须使金钱倾向于健康和福利基金而不是工人的实得工资。在某些情况下，这些增加现在已经超过或取代了工资的增长。工党领袖，管理代表，工会业务代表和普通会员都同意，这一问题正在逐步失控。但是在建筑工艺中，关于如何解决甚至解决失控成本的意见不一。许多人正在寻找增加购买力的方法。水管工工会助理总裁史蒂芬·凯利（Stephen F. Kelly）说：“这使集体谈判中的其他一切黯然失色。”
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