December 11th, 2024
Where we are: Today the USA Bargaining Team presented our final two proposals to management regarding contracting out and our new 7-step salary proposal. Management brought their final proposal regarding campus closures due to inclement weather. Now that all proposals are on the table, we will begin the counterproposal and negotiations process.
USA’s Proposals
*Click the proposal title to read it!*
Proposal 12: Article 18 Contracting Out/Temporary Employees
- In response to the illegal privatization of Advancement, replaces the current protections with stronger, stricter language that prohibits any contracting out of bargaining unit work.
- Establishes a joint Labor/Management Committee to:
- Identify current CC/03 positions who are performing USA work.
- Monitor and oversee CC/03 policies.
- Require the university to supply USA with monthly listings of current CC/03 employees.
Proposal 15: Article 14 Salary
- Replaces the current 14-step system with a 7-step system.
- The NEW steps 1-6 will be the current steps 9-14.
- The NEW step 7 will be a new step, 3% above current step 14.
- Implements the change such that:
- Members currently at steps 1-6 are moved to NEW steps 1-6 (current steps 9-14).
- Members currently at step 7-14 are moved to NEW step 7, which is 3% above the current step 14.
- Requires retroactive pay for this change back to July 1, 2024.
- Continues the practice that any employee who is promoted, reallocated, renegotiated, or reclassified to a higher grade within USA must be moved to their same steps in the new classification or grade.
- Codifies the state-determined parameter cost-of-living adjustments into our contract:
- 3% in January 2025
- 2% in July 2025
- 2% in January 2026
- 2% in July 2026
- 2% in January 2027
- Further information about this proposal:
- Recording of the USA Salary Proposal Membership Meeting
- Poll results and recap of the Membership Meeting
- USA Salary Proposal Powerpoint Presentation
- Seven Step Salary Chart
- Seven Step Calculator – find out what you’d be making if we win this proposal!
- Thank you to CAT member and SBR coordinator Chris Weeks for creating this tool!
University’s Proposals
Proposal: Article 8 Emergency and Campus Closures
- Changes the date by which the list of essential personnel is published from Oct 15th to Nov 15th.
- Removes the 30-minute allowance for commute times to and from campus for essential employees that are required to work on campus during a temporary closure.
- Requires non-essential hybrid employees with the ability to work from a remote location to work during temporary campus closures.
- Continues the practice of non-essential employees without the ability to work from a remote location to be paid during temporary campus closures.
- Adds new contract language to account for weather emergencies for work locations other than UMass Amherst.