The APA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), University policies, and individual department policies determine the working environment of an APA member on campus. The APA CBA is bargained between MSU-APA and Michigan State University. It is a legally binding contract for those employees in APA bargaining unit positions. The contract can be found under Association Documents at http://lay.wyz.mybluehost.me.
The mechanism for enforcing the contract is through the grievance procedure which may include processing the grievance to arbitration. An arbitrator’s decision is a binding decision and enforceable. In addition, the MEA Legal Representation Policy covers an APA member for enforcement of all employment law, including but not limited to: Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA); Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act; Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Payment of Wages and Benefits Act. This legal policy provides for additional avenues beyond contractual provisions to protect the rights of an APA member. The legal costs are a covered benefit under MEA membership at no additional cost to the member or our association.
University Policies are determined by Michigan State University and through the MSU Board of Trustees. The policies should not be in contradiction with the APA Collective Bargaining Agreement. Wages, hours, benefits and working conditions are mandatory subjects of bargaining and, therefore, can be bargained. In addition, the University has the ability to provide policies for the topics not directly bargained nor referenced in the collective bargaining agreement. You can find the University Policies and Procedures at http://www.hr.msu.edu/documents/supportstaffpolproc/index.htm.
Departments are allowed to determine policies within the confines of the collective bargaining agreement. For example, a department may have a policy of how to request and receive approval for vacation leave. Vacation pay accrual is found in Article 21 of the MSU-APA Collective Bargaining Agreement which determines the amount of accrual and the usage requirements. A department policy may include the process of approval of vacation leave time. The policy must be consistent and equally applied to all APA members within a department, in most cases it should be applied consistently for all employees in the department or unit.
If you have any questions for concerns regarding your wages, hours, or working conditions, please contact the APA office at (517) 353-4898 or send an e-mail to [email protected].