As of Monday afternoon, DPA hadn't yet posted the tentative agreements it has reached with six unions. But here's a Friday evening e-mail sent to UAPD to members that outlines the union's tentative labor agreement with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger:
UAPD Bargaining Team Signs Tentative Agreement with State
On Friday afternoon, the UAPD Bargaining Team signed a Tentative Agreement on a new Memorandum of Understanding with the State of California. Much of the language agreed to by UAPD will be familiar to members, as it follows the pattern set by four unions who settled their contracts last week. While some concessions have been made, UAPD's agreement also makes improvements in areas like CME and holidays, and it goes a long way towards protecting core contractual items like salary and health benefits. It also ensures that UAPD members will continue to be paid their full salaries even in the event of a budget impasse, an important guarantee for many of our members.
Complete details of the Tentative Agreement will be mailed to UAPD members next week, along with a paper ratification ballot. The UAPD Bargaining Team unanimously recommends ratification of the agreement.
The two-year agreement (July 1, 2010 - July 1, 2012) includes:
• Continuous Appropriation Bill - The State will submit a bill to allow UAPD-represented state employees to continue to earn their full salaries even in the event of a budget impasse. The Governor has stated his intention to cut state workers to minimum wage if a budget agreement is not reached; this bill will exempt UAPD-represented workers from that order.
• Salary Increase -- Starting January 1, 2012, all classes shall be adjusted by increasing the maximum of the salary range by 5%.
• New Paid Leave Day -- One additional paid professional leave day per year granted to employees in classifications required to receive continuing education for licensure (all B.U. 16 employees).
• Better CME Language -- Improvements in the continuing medical education language will make it easier to access the $1000 annual CME funds to which BU 16 members are entitled. CME language repositioned to the licensure section of MOU, and clearly supersedes departmental policies governing leaves.
• Personal Leave Program -- For the first year after the agreement is ratified, employees must take one, eight-hour, unpaid personal leave day each month, for a total of 96 hours of unpaid leave. Employees shall have until June 30, 2014 to exhaust the leave.
• Pension Formula Changes for New Employees Only-- The pension formulas for new employees will be as follows: Safety: 2% at 55 (from 2.5% at 55), Miscellaneous: 2% at 60 (from 2% at 55)
• Additional Employee Contribution to Pension -- The employee pension contribution will increase from 5% to 10% of pay for Miscellaneous/ Industrial/ ARP members. The employee pension contribution will increase from 6% to 11% of pay for State Safety members.
• Additional Employee Contribution to Retiree Health - Employees will help pre-fund retiree health benefits by contributing .5% (five-tenths of one percent) of pre-tax salary starting July 1, 2012.
• Return Part of the Holiday Benefits Taken by Legislature -- Contract incorporates statute changes of 2009 that eliminated 2 of the 14 paid holidays. While the 2009 statute also eliminated Administrative Time Off (ATO) for working on a holiday, this contract restores one hour of ATO for every two hours worked for the following holidays: January 1st, Last Monday in May, July 4th, First Monday in September, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas.
• Better Discipline Protection -- The State must notify the Union upon launching an investigation of any doctor, then update the Union every 90 days for as long as the investigation remains open. This language will help the Union offer timely assistance to all doctors, even those who may not be aware of their rights.
• Better Break Language -- Contract makes rest periods an entitlement for doctors, rather than something that a doctor "may" receive.
• Better Leave Language - New language states that unpaid leaves shall not be unreasonably denied. Under this new language, the granting of unpaid leaves will not be left solely to the discretion of individual managers.
The terms of the agreement will go into effect pending ratification by the UAPD membership and approval by the State Legislature.
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