Aug. 6, 2007

MAPE members overwhelmingly approve two-year contract agreement

SHOREVIEW – Members of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE) overwhelmingly ratified a new two-year contract today (Monday) with the State of Minnesota .

In ballots that were tabulated today (Monday), 89 percent of MAPE members voting approved a new two-year contract with the State of Minnesota. Voting was conducted through the mail. The agreement will be sent to the Minnesota Legislature for final approval.

“Our members clearly agree that this is a good compensation package,” said MAPE Executive Director Jim Monroe. “We accepted some increased health-care costs, but our members will receive raises each year that they justly deserve for the excellent work they do for the citizens of Minnesota.”

MAPE members will receive 3.25 percent cost-of-living increases each year of the two-year agreement, retroactive to July 1. Additionally, there will be progression steps each year for those MAPE members who qualify. The Legislature did appropriate additional funding for compensation, but not enough to cover this final agreement.

“We will have increased out-of-pocket health-care costs, but we eliminated additional increases in the second year,” Monroe said. “To help curb out-of-pocket drug costs, the unions pioneered a new approach to managing the health-care prescription drug program. MAPE and AFSCME Council 5 negotiated this program in the previous contract and it will be implemented in January.”

It is conservatively estimated that the pharmacy benefit manager program will provide $5 million in savings to the health-care plan and members in the first year.

MAPE is a strong voice for 11,500 professional employees who work for the State of Minnesota.

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