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 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.
As you likely recall, the APA negotiated and ratified our current wage and health care agreement, which is in effect through 2020 – 2021, that ensures wage increases each year as well as fully funded health care for the base plan (BCN).  A reminder that this October 2019, all APA members will be eligible for a 2.75% base wage increase. Therefore, the topics of base wage and health care will not be open for negotiation in the APA contract bargaining cycle this year.
The APA anticipates negotiations with MSU to begin in late summer. Â Prior to that time, the APA will be engaging members and soliciting input for bargaining through surveys, feedback forums, and email. Â Ultimately, any tentative agreement reached at the bargaining table must be ratified by a vote of all APA dues paying members.
Be sure to watch for official APA ListServ messages regarding contract input surveys and open meeting dates 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.