2025-2027 Tentative Agreement Q & A

What wage increases will we be getting?
The proposed contract includes general wage increases in both years: 1.5% effective July 1, 2025, and 1.75% effective July 1, 2026. Step increases apply both years for eligible employees (step increases average 3.55 percent in the MAPE contract).

When will I receive retro-pay?
Retro-pay from July 1, 2025 is anticipated to reach paychecks 4-8 weeks after the contract is ratified.

Will all employees be getting these increases, even those at the top of their pay scale?
Yes, those at the top of their scale receive increases in both years. The few employees who are above their class pay scale will only receive the second-year increase.

What will my health care costs be?
Health care is the top issue across our membership. We successfully pushed back on management plans to increase higher premiums and cost-sharing for health care next year: members would be paying between $2,500 and $4,500. This was an absolute non-starter for us.

The share of coverage for monthly premiums between employer and employee did not change. Agencies still pay 88% of those costs, and the State is on the hook for $90 million of increased costs just for the MAPE bargaining unit next year. The $90 million the State is paying in new money for our health care is more than the new money for wages in the Tentative Agreement.

The overall premium (which SEGIP can unilaterally raise without bargaining) will go up an estimated 17% on January 1, 2026. These hikes are a nationwide trend. For those with individual coverage, the increase will equate to an additional $5.29 per month, and for those with family coverage, the increase will equate to an additional $36.07 per month.

Are health care costs higher than our wage increases?
No. MAPE has developed a tool to allow you to calculate your own wages based on the proposed 2025-2027 contract at Wage Calculator and Premium Impacts.  You will also be able to estimate your health care costs by looking at the chart below the calculator which shows the healthcare costs differences between the health care plans for the 2023-2025 and 2025-2027 contracts.

The estimated increase in health care costs is not based on your wages; it is based on a much smaller health care premium amount.

What is new in the dental plan?

• Increased orthodontia lifetime maximum has been increased to $3,200
• Nationwide coverage has been added for out-of-state workers
• We will have open enrollment for both years of the contract.

What are the next steps?
We did not get everything we wanted but fought hard for everything we won. We had to drop proposals we cared deeply about at the table, and many fights must continue into the coming year. We built serious power and leadership this round, including hundreds of leaders in action and organizing. Our work is not done, and neither is yours. Once the tentative agreement goes into effect, there will be opportunities for all of us to act. All the Negotiations Committee representatives will meet with members in their regions to discuss the tentative agreement and next steps, so tune into your local meetings for more information.

When does voting on the tentative agreement begin?
Following the regional informational meetings, electronic voting on the tentative agreement will begin on Aug. 1 and continue through 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 7. Only members may vote on the tentative agreement. The MAPE office must receive membership applications by 11:59 p.m. on July 25 to vote. You may join online at www.mape.org/join-mape.

What happens if members don’t vote to ratify the agreement?
According to MAPE bylaws, if the tentative agreement is rejected by a majority of the voting members, a strike is automatically authorized. The Board of Directors must then vote to implement the strike. While the Negotiations Team would keep bargaining, all of the agreed-upon improvements would be withdrawn.

What happens if members approve the tentative agreement?
If members vote to approve the TA, the contract will be ratified and go into effect pending approval by the Board of Directors. If the agreement is ratified by members, it will be sent to Minnesota Management and Budget for final imp