Special Member Meeting
Dear Members,
Thank you to everyone who attended the Special Membership Meeting in October and to those who shared additional input over the past several weeks. Your feedback and engagement continue to exemplify the strength of our Cooperative model.
At the December Board of Directors meeting, the Board again welcomed comments from members, many of whom had spoken to the Board previously, regarding the current unionization effort at the Cooperative and the motions made at the Special Member Meeting in October. It is clear that a core group of dedicated, loyal and committed employees and GHC-SCW members have respectfully expressed their deep support for their Cooperative, their providers and the quality of care they receive.
We respect and admire our members’ knowledge of, and commitment to, cooperative principles, especially Principle 2: Democratic Member Control, which describes member participation in governance.
As cooperative members, each adult member (out of our total membership of more than 68,000) has a vote in electing the Board of Directors, approving bylaws and passing advisory motions to inform the Board of their needs and preferences. The Board of Directors has specific responsibilities to represent all members, have a high-level knowledge of health insurance, primary care, members’ needs and cooperative principles, and to determine what is best for the overall organization. In turn, and according to our bylaws, the business affairs of the Cooperative are managed by the Board of Directors, and member motions are considered advisory to the Board. These advisory motions are designed to provide guidance and recommendations to the Board members, but passing the motion does not obligate implementation by the Board.
After extensive discussion of the advisory motions passed at the Special Meeting at several committee meetings in late November and December, at its December board meeting, the Board passed this resolution.
Sincerely,
The Board of Directors
Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin