MSU Administrative Professional Association

 By Martin McDonough, MSU APA President 

Wages and Health Care Negotiations  

Our current fully funded healthcare benefits are defined in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between MSU and the Coalition of Labor at MSU that includes APA/MEA. This MOU is set to expire December 31, 2021, so the negotiations for a successor agreement will start soon. The only issues in these negotiations are your healthcare coverage and October raise. A link to a Health Care survey was recently provided to members. It is important for members to complete that survey so the negotiating team can represent them well.  

These negotiations are expected to continue into this summer. When there is a tentative agreement, that agreement will be brought to the membership for a ratification vote. An official ratification notification will be sent to all members in good standing. Prior to that vote, there will be information sessions.  

The APA community has made great strides in the last year. The most visible gains have been our initial Furlough Letter of Agreement (LOA) and the subsequent extension agreement. By negotiating these agreements, the APA/MEA provided unprecedented job security and the promise of continued health care coverage to APA bargaining unit members who would have otherwise been laid off and would have lost insurance.  The APA also turned back the University’s strong effort to invoke a permanent salary reduction to all APA positions as well as a permanent 50% reduction in the retirement contribution. Working together is important for everyone’s future.  

 

  

https://www.facebook.com/groups/apacommunications 

 

Hello APA members, 

Your Communications Committee has been working on a new Facebook group that will allow you to have another source to receive official information from your APA Union. This group will be open for you to join beginning on Wednesday January 6, 2021. Listed below are a few things regarding the group that will apply to all members. 

• You must be a member in good standing to be allowed to join the group 

• If a member drops off our active member list, their access will be revoked 

• This group will be informational purposes only; therefore, members will not be able to post to the group, only the administrators will be allowed to post information to the group. 
• Some examples of things that may be posted in the group are:  

• Information about upcoming union events, seminars, and activities  

• Information reminders about benefits  
• Important dates related to HR benefits, elections, and calendar dependent events  
• Photos of members at events 

Facebook provides metrics on group activity, views, number of members, and other valuable information.  These metrics will be used to evaluate the use and effectiveness of this as a communications channel after 6 months of activity data is collected. In addition, a survey of interest will be sent to request feedback from members. At that time, the Communications Committee will evaluate allowing members to create and submit posts to the group or create a separate group for discussions and questions from members.  

Again, the group will be open for members to request membership beginning on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. Once you request your membership, an administrator will check your membership status with the union. Once that process is completed, we will allow you access to the group.  

 

Our group can be found by searching for MSU APA Communications Group in Facebook 

Calling for all Advocates  

Check all the qualities you believe you possess 

• You are good at your job & respected by your colleagues
• People ask for your advice 
• You have a strong sense of justice & clear principles
• You are responsible 
• You are honest 
• You are compassionate 
• You are a good listener 
• You like solving problems as a team 
• You put interests of the whole first, ahead of your individual concerns 
• You respect group decisions 
• You are knowledgeable about MSU and your contract 
• You can stay cool under pressure 
• You handle stress well 

If you checked 5 or more of the above, your APA- Administrative Professional Association wants you!  

For more information on how to get started as an   Area Representative (AR) 

Contact: Pat Hampton at [email protected]  

Submitted by Kandy Slack, APA Membership Chair 

 

The APA held a contest from August 1 – November 30.  Any new members joining were automatically entered for a chance to win one of 22 gift bags full of MSU Gear, APA and MEA Swag!  We had an amazing 63 new members sign their membership form during this time frame. 

A separate drawing was held for any APA Area Representative recruiting new members.  Every new member went into one drawing and for each new member an AR recruited, the AR’s name was entered into another.  Ian Cameron and Jim Brinker were the winners in the AR contest! 

Due to many of our members working remotely, not all the recipients have responded to accept their gift bag.  The following members have either picked up the gift bag or other arrangements have been made with permission granted for publication. 

• Bahorski, Stephanie 
• Cleland, Andrew 
• Craig, Nicole 
• Enty, Lauren 
• Gardner, Sarah 
• Gracia-Wing, Veronica 
• Jackman, Brianna 
• Kumar, Jyothi 
• LaClair, Ashley 
• Lindhout, Michael 
• McGuire, Krista 
• Sapienza, Anthony 
• Schmidt, Elke 
• Scott, Tiphani 
• Spitzley-Andrews, Lindsey 
• Tyler-Richards, Caitlin 
• White, Lakiya 

 

Congratulations to all the APA winners and a special Thank you to Patricia Hampton, APA Vice President for assisting with gift pickup times! 

What is your job title? Graphic artist 

 

How long have you been at MSU? 2 years. 

 

Have you been a member of the APA the whole time? I joined shortly after starting my position at MSU.  

 

What department do you work in, and can you tell me a little bit about what you do? 

I’m a graphic designer with the Office of the Dean communications team at International Studies and Programs. Since joining, I’ve gotten the chance to work with many different ISP units and centers on different projects. I work closely with my team to create visual designs to support our marketing and communication efforts. Some of the main design projects I work on include creating graphics for events, presentations, infographics, reports and social media graphics.   

 

What do you enjoy most about working at MSU? There are many things. When I first started at MSU, I was new to the campus and East Lansing. During my first year, I really enjoyed walking around campus and exploring the recommended spots, all the green space and watching performances at the Wharton Center. I also appreciate all the learning opportunities that are available and encouraged for professional and personal development. 

  

By Darius Bradley Communications Chair 

 

Longevity pay recognizes long-term employment and is provided after six years of continuous service with the university. Employees who are eligible to receive longevity will receive their payment on Tuesday, Dec 1. This is a separate check that will be delivered to employees using their elected pay delivery method (direct deposit or check). For more information regarding Longevity Pay, please go to the following link. 

https://hr.msu.edu/policies-procedures/support-staff/support-staff-policies-procedures/longevity.html?utm_source=insidemsu-email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=standard-promo 

By Kandy Slack, APA Membership Chairperson 

 

Salary Progression Program 

  

Salary Progression increase consideration will be given to Employees who have completed at least one (1) year of service on the effective date of the increase, whose most recent Performance Excellence Review is “Meets Expectation” or higher, and whose salary is less than one hundred twenty-five (125%) percent of the minimum hiring level. 

  

Each remaining year of the contract eligible Employees will receive progression increases in the amount of three (3%) percent up to the 125% level.  Employees will not receive progression increases if they received a “Does Not Meet” rating on their most recent Performance Excellence Review.   

  

Minimum Hiring Rates 

  

The minimum hiring rate for grade levels may be increased by the Employer. 

  

Effective October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021, the Minimum Hiring and Automatic Progression Levels are: 

  

  

Source: https://www.hr.msu.edu/ua/recognition/support-staff/apa-apsa-rates.html 

 

Effective October 1, 2021, the Minimum Hiring and Automatic Progression Levels will increase by two and three quarters percent (2.75%).   

  

Effective October 1, 2022 and each year thereafter remaining on the contract, the Minimum Hiring and Automatic Progression Levels will increase by the General Salary Base Wage Increase. 

By Elbony Hawkins, DEI Commitee Co-Chair 

 

Please join us for an interactive and engaging presentation on “Antibias Training: Moving Dr. King’s message forward in a 2020 platform”. Kia Hagens (MEA) will facilitate this discussion and encourage dialogue among the participants. Diversity is the range of human differences, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability or attributes, religious or ethical values system, national origin, and political beliefs. This training is designed to explore these many differences and work to be more inclusive in our local associations, work sites and while working with students and colleagues. Come prepared to interact and engage with others. 

  

Please join us on Thursday, January 21, 2021 from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm via Zoom Meeting: https://mea-org.zoom.us/j/84933091935