Since the end of 2018, the APA has been intensely preparing to enter contract negotiations to bargain a successor agreement with MSU. The current APA contract is in effect through September 30, 2019, and our first bargaining session with the University is scheduled for August 8, 2019.Â
Per Article VII of the APA Constitution and Bylaws, the APA must begin preparations to negotiate a successor agreement by appointing the Negotiations Committee in January of the year our current contract is set to expire.Â
An initial solicitation for anyone interested in serving on the committee was included in the January/February 2019 APA Newsletter and those who responded were appointed to the committee by the APA Executive Board. The committee is a cross-section of more than 30 APA members who work in varied classifications and departments and come to the committee with different interests and years of service at MSU.
Rising from the Committee, the seven-member and two alternates who comprise the APA bargaining team were appointed by the executive board on June 25. Those individuals are:
Maury Koffman (Chair and chief spokesperson)
Darius Bradley
Sue Brandt
Jamie Lynn Marks
Martin McDonough
Brian Mitchell
Jeremy Romel
Pat Hampton (alternate)Â
Leo Sell (alternate)
Dennis Seybert (APA staff/MEA UniServ)
The APA has and will continue to host more than 25 Community Luncheons across campus – including MSU offices in East Lansing, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit, and Flint – focused on the upcoming contract negotiations. APA member town halls have also been held on campus before, during, and after regular working hours. In the near future, the APA will be distributing an online survey to all dues paying members. These multiple forums have ensured members are able to actively engage and inform the bargaining team on issues and topics to be raised at the bargaining table.
As a reminder, the APA joint wage and health care agreement is in effect through 2020 – 2021. That contract ensures wage increases each year as well as fully funded health care for the base plan (BCN). As a result of that agreement, the APA is precluded from bargaining over base wage or health care coverage in the upcoming APA contract negotiation. Also as previously announced, all APA members will be eligible for a 2.75% base wage increase in October 2019.
The APA looks forward to beginning formal contract negotiations with MSU on August 8. Ultimately, any tentative agreement reached by the APA bargaining team must be presented to the membership and ratified by a majority of APA dues paying members who cast a ballot.
Be sure to watch for official APA ListServ messages regarding the upcoming contract input survey and member meetings prior to and during the 2019 bargaining cycle. If you have questions, please feel free to email [email protected] or contact the APA office at 517.999.4004.