Know Your Contract – Benefits Besides Wages and Health

Know Your Contract

We all know that wages and health coverage are the top issues when someone is looking for a job, but the other benefits in a union contract can make the difference in quality working conditions and quality of life.

Benefits provided by your bargained contract (http://lay.wyz.mybluehost.me/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/APA2011-2015.pdf)  include:

  • Vacation Leave, Article 21
  • Personal Leave, Article 22
  • Holiday Pay, Article 23
  • Sick Leave (including an increased amount of sick leave available to be used for family illness), Article 24
  • Military Leave to attend school full-time, Article 25
  • Longevity Pay, Article 28
  • Jury Duty Pay, Article 29
  • Military Duty Pay, Article 30
  • Bereavement Leave, Article 31
  • Extended Disability Leave and Long-Term Disability coverage, Article 37 and Article 39

The Public Employment Relations Act (PERA) provides the right to bargain collectively for all wages, hours and working conditions (www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/mcl-act-336-of-1947.pdf).  If the members of APA were not organized in a union with rights to collectively bargain, these benefits would be up to the sole discretion of the University and could be unilaterally changed.

If you have any other questions or concerns regarding your particular working conditions, please contact the APA office at (517) 353—4898 or at [email protected].

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