TIME TO VOTE ON THE 2011-2013 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT

On Friday, February 11; Union Headquarters will need to receive your ballot regarding the 2011-2013 Collective Bargaining Agreement. 

On Monday, February 7, the Commerce Union Shop is going to have an informational meeting about the contract.  A similar meeting will be on the next day at the nearby DSHS office at Cherry Plaza. 

Here are some of the highlights:

Furloughs: 

Right now Commerce employees must take ten furlough days per year.  If an employee works an eight hour shift, it means they lose 80 hours of pay each year.  This loss of pay represents about a three percent pay cut. 

Right now furloughs apply to roughly 20% of state employees.  With the proposed contract, essentially all state employees will be furloughed.  All state employees will receive a three percent (3%) pay-cut.  This pay cut is roughly the same as the loss in pay from the ten furlough days that employees must take now.

The big difference is that employees will get most of that pay cut back in terms of additional time off.  During the next biennium, employees will receive an additional 5.2 hours of leave per month.  This additional leave roughly restores about 2% of the pay cut. 

This additional time off will appear on the timesheets as “Temporary Salary Reduction Leave”.  Employees can use this leave anytime they want.  They must use most of it before the end of June, 2010.  They can only carry-forward 16 hours, which they must use by September 1, 2013. 

Medical Benefits

Right now the State pays 88% of an employee’s health care premium and employees pay the remaining 12% of the premium.  Under the proposed contract, the State’s share will reduced to 85% and the employee’s share will increase to 15%.  The proposed contract preserves existing current co-pays, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs at current rates.

Anti-Bullying:

Under the current contract, workplace bullying and harassment is not a grievable offense.  The proposed contract makes it subject to the grievance process.  This is a major gain against workplace harassment an bullying.

Lateral Transfers:

The proposed contract adds language that will give permanent employees first crack at internal vacancies within the department. 

Exchange Time:

The proposed contract includes a memorandum of understanding regarding overtime-exempt employees use of exchange time.  Both parties agree that they will get together to work out several current problems; such as, what extraordinary or excess hours means and the accrual of exchange time. 

Copies of the proposed contract were mailed to all Union members.  Copies are also available online.  Don't forget to mail in your ballot.

Proposed 20112013 Contract