Tentative Agreement Next Steps

MAPE's contract (2021-23) 

Tentative Contract Process

1. Contract meetings in all locals - COMPLETED
2. Membership vote on TA - watch for join and vote deadlines! - COMPLETED
3. Contract is sent to legislative Subcommittee on Employee Relations. SER has 30-days to vote on it; if approved or there is no vote, the contract goes into interim effect. - PASSED SER
4. Contract requires full legislative approval in 2022

Tentative Agreement Q&A

Wage Calculator

Calculate an estimation of your own wage increases based on the proposed 2021-2023 contract.

Summary

In the early hours of Thursday, July 22, MAPE reached a tentative agreement (TA) with representatives from Minnesota Management and Budget. The contract agreement reflects the tireless work of MAPE's bargaining team, substantial engagement from our membership and extraordinary services MAPE members provide every day. 

This contract is a step in the right direction, but we know we have a mile to go. To continue this journey, we'll build on what worked - partnering on key priorities, being radically transparent, listening to and amplifying member voices and engaging with those in power to ensure our state and our State government is the best it can be.  

We always say, “When we fight, we win!” This contract reflects ideas from a record number of you who told us what you wanted to see in your contract. Together, we fought to make improvements to our working conditions, healthcare and compensation.   

We secured major victories for our members including strong wage increases, added significant benefits to our health insurance with no major changes in out-of-pocket costs or share of premium costs, added Juneteenth as a holiday, secured a large increase to employer contribution to deferred compensation and more. 

We also fought back harmful union busting language proposals from MMB that aimed to: strip our seniority rights, alter our grievance process, attack overtime and threaten furloughs. 

In the coming weeks and months, you will have the opportunity to engage with the Negotiations Team about what is in this agreement, and then, if you are a member, you’ll be able to vote on the contract. 

Stay tuned for more information on your local's contract meeting and upcoming membership vote. Read more about MAPE's Contract Rally here.

Core Economics

• Cost of Living Adjustment is 2.5% in FY2022 and 2.5% in FY2023. 
• No increase to our share of healthcare premiums, though the overall cost of premiums currently set by the Commissioner will go up by 3% for both the state and members (see below).

It’s important to recognize that these core economics are solid; better than we received in the last contract. Ensuring our healthcare is protected during a pandemic is important. 

We beat back the Actuarial Value proposal on healthcare, which would have locked in non-negotiable increases to our healthcare and decreased our power to bargain.  

Share of Premium vs. Premium cost

In healthcare negotiations, we negotiate how much of the premium we pay vs. the state. The state wanted to add an additional 2% to our share of the cost, making it 7% for single plans and 17% for dependent coverage. We staved off this proposal. 

However, the actual cost of healthcare and our premiums will increase this year by 3%. We do not currently negotiate this.  In other words, the overall price tag on our premiums will be 103% of last year.

Here is an example of what that looks like for our members: 

Core Priorities

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI): MAPE members said this was a priority and we fought together and the following contract improvements:

• Juneteenth will now be a holiday for state workers.
• Additional pay for employees who communicate with the public in languages other than English.
• Language in our preamble recognizing that equity, diversity and inclusion has a place in our work as a union. 
• Quarterly meetings with the Governor’s Office of Inclusion to engage and share member concerns and ideas for improving our state workforce’s EDI programs. 
• Members who work in Connect700 can accrue and use vacation/sick leave, and are now eligible for holiday pay.

Telework: After 16 months of members successfully teleworking, the message was clear - telework as an option must be here to stay. This contract will include: 

• Language that ensures a 14 days notice when practical for any changes in teleworking conditions.
• Pilot program to meet with management to address any disagreements with permissions or denials of telework. 

Temporary Unclassified employees; In the past four years, we have highlighted the overuse and abuse of the Temporary Unclassified status of state workers. We made gains in this contract with: 

• An increase from 14 to 21 days minimum notice when practical on the ending of an appointment.
• Shortened probationary period for Temporary Unclassified workers when converted to classified. 

Additional Highlights

Healthcare

• Open Enrollment for Dental Care in 2023.
• 3D mammograms as standard care.
• No Actuarial Value proposal - a proposal that would have permanently capped the employer’s share of all healthcare costs, causing employees to pay more and more, no matter what we bargain.
• Emergency Room out of pocket increases in order to contain cost of tier 4 emergency room visits  and no longer being subject to the deductible.
• Short-term disability open enrollment every 5 years.
• Waiting period for insurance coverage for new employees reduced to 30 days from 35 days.

Deferred Compensation

• Maximum match from the State increased 25% to $250.

Additional flexibility 

• Ability for employees to waive the shift differential language to allow for more flexible schedules, removes the lunch time restriction language (employees can now take lunch any time of the workday).