2023 Contract agreement overview

MAPE members fought hard and secured an agreement for our wages and benefits over the next two years. We brought forward nine priorities to the bargaining table, leading with a competitive across-the-board wage increase, strong health care for our families (initially brought to the healthcare coalition table), and flexible workplace. We had to fight for every inch of progress, and though we didn’t get everything we deserved, the contract is historic and has meaningful gains for members across the union. It is now time for members to learn about the agreement, and vote on it Aug. 11-17. The Negotiations Team and MAPE Board of Directors recommend a yes vote, to ratify the tentative agreement and put it into effect. 

Summary of Substantive Changes 

Wages: Across-the-board increases of 5.5% the first year and 4.5% the second year. Step increases, averaging 3.5%, apply to eligible employees each year of the contract. 

CERP: Retirees who are covered under the Corrections Early Retirement Program (CERP) will now have their healthcare premiums covered at the same rate as current employees, just like other bargaining units covered by CERP.  

Health Care 

Mental Health and Wellbeing: Starting Jan. 1, 2024, mental health care visits will have no copay with the deductible waived, for those in tier 1 and tier 2 clinics. For those in tiers 3 and 4, the copay will be $50 and $70 respectively, which is $20 lower than current medical office visit copays. The Wellbeing Incentive Deductible credit of $70 will be discontinued starting Jan. 1, 2025. 

Out-of-Service-Area Care Expansion: The limited “point of service” program for out-of-service care will be replaced by a more robust plan. All covered services outside of the Advantage service area for employees, former employees and dependents will be covered at tier 3 with a separate deductible. Individuals whose permanent residence and principal workplace are outside the state and service area will still be covered at tier 2 if they use a SEGIP plan administrator’s national network provider. 

Dental Annual Maximum Increase: The yearly dental coverage maximum will be raised by $200 from $2,000 to $2,200. 

Dental Individual Premium Structure Change: In the current contract, monthly dental premiums for families are percent-based (50% split between employee and employer), and for individuals it is a static amount of $13.50 a month. The health care coalition of multiple unions agreed to change the individual premium to percent-based as well – with the employee covering 30%, which is equivalent to $13.50 right now. In the future, premium increases will be split between family and individual and family, not just increases to family. 

Expanded Fertility Services: The expanded fertility services (including in-vitro fertilization) pilot will become permanent in the contract and will be available through all plan administrators instead of just HealthPartners.  

Paid-Up Life Insurance Increase: The permanent death benefit for people who carried life insurance in the five years prior to retirement was increased from15% to 20%. This is a permanent, paid-in-full life insurance policy for people who retire after having carried life insurance as employees. 

Premium amount increase: The share of coverage for monthly premiums between employer and employee did not change. The overall premium (which SEGIP can unilaterally raise without bargaining) will go up 3% on Jan. 1. For those with individual coverage, a 3% increase would equate to an additional $1.16 per month, and for those with family coverage the increase would be an additional $7.88 per month. 

Non-Health Care 

Telework: Employees will now be granted a meeting with the employer to discuss changes in telework, with a union representative if they wish, prior to those changes taking place. There will also be an appeal process for when an employee disagrees with a telework change determination. Teleworking employees whose permanent office closes will have mileage covered when required to do field work or commute to a newly assigned office more than 35 miles away.  

Expanded Definition of Family: The definition of who is family for the purpose of sick leave usage has been expanded, using the definition from the newly-passed Earned Safe and Sick Time state law, to include “any other individual related by blood or whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship; and up to one individual annually designated by the employee.” Also, the definition of family for bereavement leave has been expanded too.

Expanded Length of Service Vacation Credit Program: For both new hires and current employees, the length of service vacation accrual credit program has been expanded to include self-employment and contracting work. Credit is still granted at the discretion of the employer but can be granted to an amount up to the total years of previous work related to the employee’s current position. The conditions of vacation eligibility and documentation have been removed. 

Meal Reimbursement Increase: Reimbursement for meals while in travel status has been increased. Breakfast will now be reimbursed at $11 instead of $9; lunch at $13 instead of $11, and dinner at $19 instead of $16. For high-cost localities as identified by the IRS (excluding MN), breakfast reimbursement will now be $12 instead of $11; lunch $15 instead of $13 and dinner $23 instead of $20. 

New Options for Temporary Unclassified employees: The 21-day notification language for the ending of appointments for temporary unclassified employees now includes notification when an appointment is to end early “when practicable.” At the discretion of the employer, when a temporary unclassified employee’s appointment ends early, the employee may remain in payroll status for 40 hours of paid leave. Also at the discretion of the employer, a temporary unclassified employee who has exhausted accrued sick leave may receive up to six months of unpaid leave for sickness or injury.  

Student Loan Reimbursement: The student loan reimbursement pilot has been made permanent and moved into the main body of the contract. It now applies to all agencies. The amounts are the same, and granting reimbursement is still at the discretion of the employer, as before. The documentation provision was fixed to clarify it is a reimbursement program, not a matching program.

Deferred Compensation:

Pilot Projects Extended: The dates for pilot projects on multilingual pay differential, phased retirement and equity adjustments have all been changed to be active through the new contract period.  

Incentives Programs Authorized: Upon approval from MMB and notice to MAPE, agencies are now authorized to create incentives programs for recruitment and retention.  

PPL Usage: Paid Parental Leave (PPL) will now be available for bereavement leave in the case of a stillbirth or the death of a child.  

Temporary Change in Employment Condition: Employees may now request to go from full-time to part-time or part-time to full-time on a temporary basis of up to 12 months. The request must be approved by mutual agreement with the employer.  

Employee-Initiated Location Reassignment: Employees may now request in writing if they wish to be reassigned to a new location further than 35 miles from their current location, and this will no longer create a vacancy.  

Removal of Discipline Materials: Upon mutual agreement with MAPE, the removal of discipline from a personnel file resolves related grievances. 

Voluntary Separation and Discipline: Upon mutual agreement with MAPE, an employee’s voluntary separation from the State resolves related grievances unless the grievance directly affects their status upon termination or a claim of vested money interests (for example, back wages or accrued vacation).  

Supplemental Agreements: Meet and Confer teams at nine agencies bargained specific changes for their agencies.  

Technical and Clarification Changes: We also agreed to numerous technical and clarification changes that do not substantively change the agreement.