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Discover how we reached the current contract through negotiations and power building. Learn about the key proposed changes for 2019, what was fought back, and the ratification process. Understand your role in the process and the issues that need your attention.
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Agenda How we got here • Negotiations • Power building Key Proposed changes to contract • What’s new for 2019 What did we fight back? • What they wanted, but didn’t get What happens now? • Ratification process • The role you play • Issues that need you! Questions
How we got here Hint: Lots of hard work and thanks to many of you
Negotiations leading up to Push Week • WE elected OUR statewide Negotiations Team • The team started meeting late 2018 • More than 8,000 touch points through record participation in MAPE surveys, listening sessions, contract actions and shared stories • Five key themes emerged: workforce development, equity and inclusion, healthy work place, wages and healthcare, and work/life balance. Proposals were built around these themes. • April 4 was our first meeting with MMB • By the end of May, we had key proposals to negotiate along with health care and wages • That’s what we brought to Push Week to finish negotiating
Building power along the way • April 4 kickoff • We packed the room • MMB heard powerful, personal stories from our members around five themes • April 25 button up day • Hundreds showed support from afar by wearing MAPE buttons and posting on social media Members in individual agencies held actions through the spring on issues that mattered to them • June 18 rally • Members across the state participated via video or in person in a Push Week rally
Key proposed changes to Contract (not including technical changes)
Key contract changes Effective July 1, 2019, all salary ranges and rates for classes covered in this Agreement shall be increased by two and one quarter percent (2.25%) rounded to the nearest cent. Effective July 1, 2020, all salary ranges and rates for classes shall be increased by two and one half percent (2.5%) rounded to the nearest cent. Step increases still apply to eligible employees each year of the contract. Wages
Key contract changes Negotiators fought back over $122 million in take backs to limit increase cost sharing to $23.5 million. The change also helps avoid a $41 million cadillac health plan tax in 2022. The remaining $98.5 million in costs will be paid for by the employer. Costs include 8% premium increases in 2020-2021 (down from a proposed 9.3%). These premium increases are also shared by the employer. Individuals pay 5% and families 15%. Health Care
What does that look like?Actual premium increases estimated for 2020-2021 MAPE contract
What does this mean to me? No changes were made to the co-premium rates (5% employee and 15% family) MAPE’s insurance premiums will increase by 8% in January of 2020 and estimated up to 8% in January of 2021. While the cost of the premium in each calendar year will increase by 8%, only 5% of that amount for single coverage and 15% for family coverage is passed onto the employee. Employees with single premium will experience a $2.60 per month increase or $31.18 increase over the course of 2020. Their increase will be $2.80 per month and $33.68 per year for 2021. Employees with family coverage will experience a $17.73 per month increase or nearly $212.76 over the course of 2020. Their increase will be $19.14 per month or approximately $230 per year for 2021.
Calculate your own wages based on the proposed 2019-2021 Contract with MAPE’s Wage Calculator https://mape.org/wage-calculator The top of the web page has a slider with a wage calculator in it and detailed explanation of the insurance premium increases showing the $2.60 per month increase for single coverage, and $17.74 per month increase for family coverage.
Key contract changes • Optional vision insurance - coming soon! • MAPE successfully negotiated for optional vision insurance. The employer has agreed to work with labor to create a vision plan that employees can purchase. • Step 1: Joint Labor Management coalition meets to determine the parameters and details of the plan • Step 2: The plan will go out for bid and a provider will be chosen • Step 3: Unions must sign off on the vision plan before it goes into effect • Anticipated start of employee-offered optical insurance is January 1, 2021. Vision Plan NEW!
Key Dental Changes • Minimal dental premium increases • Employees with family coverage, will pay $1.66 per month more in premiums in 2020. No change for single coverage. • Preventative dental services will not apply to a person’s $2,000 annual maximum dental benefit. • Lifetime maximum orthodontia benefits increase from $2,400 to $3,000. • Insurance coverage for repairs on a tooth that has previously been repaired available (without waiting two years)
Key contract changes Letter in the contract allowing agencies the option of offering student loan payment reimbursement for employees only. This is completely at the discretion of the agency. Not to exceed $5,000 per calendar year or $25,000 over five years Participating employees will be required to have been employed for 18 months and remain employed for one (1) year after receiving a reimbursement payment Within sixty (60) calendar days of the disbursement, the employee must provide documentation to the Agency that the amount disbursed has been applied to the student loan. Members need to organize and show support for agency and MN State meet & confer committees to convince agencies and MN State to participate. Student Loan Reimbursement NEW!
Key contract changes Article 12 amended to reflect the statutory changes that allow the use of sick leave for adult children, grandparents, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother or sister, and grandchild Expanded to allowing sick leave use for obtaining assistance or providing assistance to a covered relative for sexual assault, domestic abuse or stalking Sick Leave Improvements!
Key contract changes Employees who do not have sufficient accruals to take bereavement leave for covered family members will be allowed to get a credited amount of sick leave, not to exceed forty (40) hours, to cover their leave. The credited hours would be paid back in subsequent pay periods. Bereavement Leave NEW!
Key contract changes MAPE’s current phased retirement program has been expanded. Agencies may participate by providing notice to MMB and MAPE. No longer restricted to specific agencies. Phased retirement may now be granted for up to six (6) months, instead of three (3) months, without any additional written agreements. Phased Retirement Expanded!
Key contract changes MAPE was able to win language that letters of expectations are not discipline and can be removed from a personnel file after six (6) months of satisfactory performance. Prior to this, letters of expectation could remain in personnel files for an undetermined amount of time. Letters of Expectation
Key contract changes MAPE was able to address the recruitment and retention issues in IT by successfully negotiating higher pay grids for Information Technology Specialists (ITS) positions. There is no new language accompanying the pay scale, but this allows for future flexibility around recruitment and retention in IT. IT Pay Ranges NEW!
Key contract changes From discussions on employee career paths and recognition of the need for professional development. The employer has agreed to simplify their classification system by providing: More up-to-date class specifications, Better distinction between classes in a series, and Continuing dialogue with members to address gaps in clarity and continued improvements Career Mapping
Key contract changes New language requiring the employer, when practicable, to notify a temporary unclassified employee a minimum of fourteen (14) days in advance of their scheduled end of the appointment as to what the status of their position will be at the end of their appointment. New language spells out the employer’s requirement to offer and the conditions surrounding a Loudermill hearing offered to employees being suspended or discharged. This strengthens a member’s right to have union representation. Inclusion of tribal government in length of service credit consideration for vacation accruals. Language was included clarifying that an employee must meet the minimum qualifications for a position in order to be awarded an interest bid. New language allows MMB to make equity adjustments and advance incumbents within a pay range and/or provide a one-time lump sum payment of $2,500 to an individual at the top of their range who has a least a satisfactory job performance. From an equity standpoint, tribal elections will be treated like all other elections in regard to eligible employee’s voting time. This provides pay for the time it takes an employee to vote in a tribal election. Broadening of immunization rights to those who face serious health risks due to repeated exposure to bacterial or viral hazards regardless of department. Other Notable Changes
Key contract changes Language defining disabled employees as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. New language specifies under specific circumstances how a disabled employee using an assistive device can attend training paid for by vacation and sick leave accruals. Expansion of who is able to receive severance pay by removing age 65 restriction. Employee’s must still meet the previous requirements in the contract. Removal of the old requirement that an annual health survey be conducted by specific agencies and an ability to expand it to other agencies. The employer may offer a recruiting incentive of up to $5,000 to new employees who accept a hard-to-fill position. The employer may also offer a referral incentive up to $1,000 to current employees who refer a new employee to a hard-to-fill position. (Limited circumstances and at the discretion of MMB.)Hard-to-fill positions will be determined by Minnesota Management and Management (MMB) with payments made in installments. Language that allows management to subtract the number of hours, not to exceed forty (40), from an employee’s vacation accruals equal to an unpaid suspension. Language extending the period a written reprimand can remain in a personnel file from one (1) year to eighteen (18) months provided no further discipline has been administered. Other Notable Changes (continued)
MMB ProposalsMAPE Fought Off Reduction to compensation for on-call work, potentially costing some members thousands of dollars per year Change in rules on bumping in the case of layoffs. If approved, it would have allowed agencies to pick and choose who they want to keep in times of layoff, instead of respecting seniority. Elimination of sick and vacation time for intermittent employees, Limitation of the rights of MAPE’s elected leaders to use union leave Elimination of reimbursement for lunch, except for when the employee is in travel status overnight
What happens now Contract ratification and your role
Contract Ratification – MAPE votes • Negotiations Committee reached a tentative agreement with the state on June 20 • The MAPE Board of Directors unanimously recommends that members accept the tentative agreement • Local contract informational meetings end August 12 • You must be a member to vote on this tentative agreement Note: For those joining now, the MAPE office must receive your membership application by 11:59 p.m. Aug. 9 to vote. You can join online at www.mape.org/join-mape • A voter guide was sent to all members at their work email Friday, June 28, 2019 • Electronic voting opens on August 14 and continues through August 26 at 11:59 p.m. • If the tentative agreement is rejected by a majority of the voting members, a strike is automatically authorized
Contract Ratification – SER meets • Votes are tallied with results announced on August 27 • If accepted (or ratified), the edited agreement is forwarded (via MMB) to the Subcommittee on Employee Relations (SER) for action • The SER must act within 30 days of official filing from MMB, which typically can be 30-60 days from the time our voting ends • By majority vote, the SER can vote to approve or not approve our contract on an interim basis • If the SER has a tie vote or does not act at all, the contract goes into effect on an interim basis
Contract Ratification – 2020 Legislature • If approved, the contract becomes an enforceable agreement • The full legislature must take up the contract for final approval during the 2020 legislative session • We will continue to meet with legislators and share personal stories and talk about the work we do to keep Minnesota working.
We need you to join us. We’ve gained momentum and have engaged members like never before during this negotiations cycle. We have power in numbers and showed strength at the table via our membership. Not yet a member? Join today. https://mape.org/join-mape
Student loan reimbursement Phased retirement expansion Longevity issues Paid family leave Safety leave expansion for weather related issues Professional development credits Vacation accrual Telecommuting policies Not done yet! Issues that need champions to get traction. Is that you?
Questions? More information online @ www.mape.org