Gov. Dayton signs MAPE's 2013-15 contract

Gov. Mark Dayton has signed MAPE's 2013-15 contract (Senate File 1952) and other labor agreements into law.

MAPE's contract bill (SF 1952) passed the Minnesota House 84-48 Monday afternoon and sent the bill to Gov. Dayton for his signature. MAPE's contract was approved by the state Senate March 10 with a 43-22 bipartisan vote.

Authored by Leon Lillie Rep. Leon Lillie (D - North St. Paul) in the House, the bill covers eight labor agreements and three compensation plans.

MAPE's two-year 2013-15 contract calls for a pair of 3 percent cost-of-living adjustments. The first raise was effective July 1 of last year. The second 3 percent raise goes into effect July 1 of this year.

Additionally, state employees will begin paying 5 percent of the cost of their single-coverage health-care premiums effective Jan. 1, 2015.

As usual, Rep Steve Drazkowski (R - Mazeppa) and Joyce Peppin (R - Rogers) were critical of the wage increases the agreements provide for state employees. Drazkowski also criticized the priorities of the legislative majority.

Lillie characterized the raises as modest, pointing out that state employees didn't get wage increases during the tough economic times. Lillie said that roughly half of the more less senior state employees would also be receiving step increases.