MSU Administrative Professional Association

What is your job title?

I am the Endowment Integrity Specialist for all of the colleges/units on campus

What area of campus, building and department do you work in?

I work on the West Side of Campus at Spartan Stadium in University Advancement

How long have you been at MSU?

4 years

How long have you been an Area Representative?

Almost 4 years, I started the AR program shortly after I began working here at MSU.

Why is being a member of the Union important to you and what value does it bring?

There are so many reasons why being a member of the Union is important. Many of the rights we enjoy and the benefits we receive every day at the workplace are because of our union. The union provides us workers with a powerful and collective voice to communicate to management demonstrating that Unity is Strength. It also gives me a sense of security knowing that I have the union to support me.

What words of advice do you have for the new hires at MSU?

My advice to new hires is to arrive with a positive attitude every day and do the best you can.  If any assignments are unclear, ask questions, ask for advice and help from others. Let them know they can depend on you. Be all about continuous improvement and most importantly TURN IN YOUR BLUE CARD and get involved with the APA.

What do you love about working at MSU?

As a proud alumna (class of ‘06), I have a passion for MSU therefore I want to do an excellent job in my role here. I get to work with great people all across campus and I just love the campus atmosphere in general.   

What do you like to do when you are not at work?

I enjoy spending time with my family, especially during the summer months. We spend most of our summer at the beach, visiting amusement parks, having outdoor gatherings and just enjoying each other doing a variety of things.  I love to travel and see new places, go to concerts and music festivals, comedy shows and poetry events. It is pretty safe to say I enjoy just about everything.

Nahtiah Covington, APA Area Representative

The AR’s are appointed by the Executive Board and their role is to assist with distributing APA materials and information and to serve as a resource for members. AR’s are assigned to a geographic area of campus, so if there is not an AR in your immediate building, you can find one nearby. For a list of AR’s go to http://lay.wyz.mybluehost.me/about/area-representatives-2/

We extend a special thanks to the following APA members who have gone through training and were approved at the September APA Board meeting to become an Area Representative (AR):

James Bender, Marcia Bird, Darius Bradley, Ian Cameron,  Michael Chumbley, Heather Dover, George Harris, Jamie Lynn Marks, Paula Palmiter, Angela Sorrells-Jones.

In addition, we would like to thank those AR’s who have served previously and continue on as an AR.  These include: Allison Virag-McCann, Amanda Ross, Andrea Worful, Anna-Marie Rodriguez-Pelizzari, Becky Jo Farrington, Cindy Helms, Danielle Flaumenhaft, Elizabeth Wheeler, Elisabeth (Hasbany) Anderson, Erin West, Ezra Brooks, Gerlind Kiupel, Jared Andrews, Jennifer Sergeant, Kaleigh Jaeger-Hale, Katharine Cusick, Lisa Wilton, Matthew Evans, Nahtiah Covington, Nicki Walker, Patti Roost, Steven Smith, Tammy Slocum, Tim Woods and Tonya Jamison.

These individuals have gone through training and can confidentially assist members out in the units. So if you have a question, please feel free to reach out to one of them.

Friday, September 28 @ 7:00pm MSU Women’s volleyball vs Penn State

APA has a limited number of free tickets available, and each ticket admits two people for general admission. We will go early and identify a section for APA members and their guest/family to sit together in the upper section.  Keep in mind that athletics requires a ticket for every person (even infants), and that no bags/purses/backpacks are permitted in Jenison Field House during athletic events, so leave those in the car!  

To reserve your ticket, please email Sue Brandt at [email protected].  A limit of one ticket (each ticket is good for 2 people’s entry into the game) will be available to APA members in good standing.  Tickets will be available on a first-come-first-served basis for pre-orders and then made available to others. If any extra tickets are available right before the event, we will offer to those who may need them for additional members in their family.  Ticket pickup will only be available September 28th from 6:00pm-6:45pm on the steps just outside the volleyball game entrance to Jenison which is on the west side of the building.   There may even be popcorn for the early birds!

MSU Homecoming Parade October 5

We started small last year with an APA entry in the MSU homecoming parade and hope to be back this year with a larger group.  We welcome APA members and their families to be part of our parade entry and walk along the parade route with us and pass out candy. If you and your family are interested in being in the parade, and/or helping us with a couple details of the event, please contact Sue Brandt at [email protected]

APA Coat Drive October 1-19

The dates for the winter coat drive have been set and APA is pleased to again provide this service to the MSU and Lansing school district.  These items are sorted and re-distributed to MSU CAMP, which is the College Assistance Migrant Program, a residential program with students living in Holden Hall that assists migrant or seasonal farm worker students to enable them to complete their first year of college.  These students, generally from Texas are from a warm climate and come unprepared for the Michigan winters and lack financial means. Items collected are also shared with the Lansing School Education Association (LSEA).

Clean, new and gently used winter coats, hats, gloves and boots will be accepted in both adult and children’s sizes.  Please no spring/summer apparel and no torn or dirty items.

The University community and the LSEA students depend on this and we need a few more APA to get involved for a quick one-time minimal time commitment.  If you could help sort coats for about an hour the evening of October 22, please contact Sue Brandt for more information at [email protected] or 355-9306.  

New this year, we will offer two drive-thru locations where you can pull in and drop off coats on your way into work, rather than having to bring the coats in from your car:

October 2 from 7:30am-8:00am at 1855 Place Parking Ramp – first floor inside the Harrison entrance

October 10 from 7:30am-8:00am at the Olin Parking Ramp – just past the gate arm entrance

Bin locations October 1-19:

1855 Place 2nd Floor – Linda Beach

Berkey Hall Room 205 – Trudy Wesley

Biomedical & Physical Sciences Room 2201 – Pat Hampton

Clinical Center A206J Floor Break Room – Kimberly Patterson

Comm Arts Room 201 – Trajan Dubiel

Community Music School Lobby – Sarah Bohan

Computer Center Room 500 – Jane Carl

Engineering Room 3536G – Kaleigh Jaeger-Hale

Fee Hall Room East, Room A221 – Kathy Collins

Holden Hall Room C249 – Leonel Ornelas-Martinez

Holmes Hall Room E-36 – Dan Koch

Kellogg Center Room 93 – Cindy Helms

IPF Suite 1 – Martin McDonough

Main Library Circulation Desk – Tammy Slocum

Morrill Hall of Agriculture Room 160 – Holly Lacina

MSU Innovation Center Suite 350 – Tina Ramos

Plant Biology Laboratories Room 106 – Tina Hayes

Student Services Room 216 – Erica Phillipich

Vet Med Suite G155D – Kaye Boucher

News this year, the MSU Flint Campus will participate from October 1-14:

200 East 1st Street; Bin in hallway by the security office – George Harris

 

The APA has confirmed that the base wage increase for the first year of our new joint wage and health care agreement will be 2.75%. That increase will be realized for all APA members in October 2019.

APA 2018 – 2021/2022 Health Care & Wage Increases

In addition to annual eligible wage increases, the APA is proud to have negotiated a joint wage and health care agreement that ensures fully funded health care with no monthly employee-paid premium for single, double, and family coverage for the base plan (Blue Care Network) health care coverage through December 31, 2021.

In short, the APA wage increases for the coming years are as follows:

  

-October 2018: 0% increase/salary freeze under the last year of our previous joint wage and health care agreement.

 

-October 2019: 2.75% subject to 40% of the wage increase provided automatically and 60% of the wage increase provided through application of management’s merit pay guidelines.

-October 2020, 2021, 2022: to be determined under the terms year of our wage and health care agreement. A minimum 1% lump sum payment to a maximum of a 2.75% base wage increase. 

 

As a reminder, the APA negotiates our contract that ensures fully funded health care, a minimum salary by grade level, and annual eligible base wage increases. It is noteworthy that the APA contract works as a floor and there is no ceiling for the salary increase amount or maximum annual salary. 

 

While 100% of the funds negotiated by the APA for annual wage increases must be distributed in full to APA members each year in October, a department is fully permitted under the APA contract to provide a greater wage increase in October, or extend an out-of-cycle wage increase in any month, provided the department accounts for the funding in their budget and it is processed through HR. 

 

A More Detailed Explanation

To begin, health care will continue to be fully MSU-funded with no employee premium for the base plan for single, double, and family coverage through December 31, 2021.

As to wages, the APA salary freeze for 2018 is the result of the fourth and final year of our previous joint wage and health care agreement. Under that agreement, the wage increase amount was determined by the total percent annual health care cost increase from July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017. In that measuring year health care costs increased 16.4%. Therefore, under the previous wage matrix formula, all APA members are slated for a salary freeze (or as MSU identifies it, a 0% increase) this October 2018. 

 

Starting with our new agreement which dictates our October 2019 wage increase, we were able to make a key improvement on how the calculation is done to determine the annual health care cost increase. In the previous contract, the health care cost increase was calculated exclusively on total health care spend and did not account for the additional MSU unionized staff being hired.

For APA wages starting in October 2019, the health care cost experience shall be calculated based on the average health care cost per union member of the MSU Coalition of Labor. That calculation shall be a monthly average over the period July 1 through June 30 of each year. 

 

Therefore, the October 2019 base wage increase was determined using the new formula of average union member health care cost. Because the average cost increase per member was .9% over that measuring year, APA members will receive a 2.75% base wage increase in October 2019.

 

For October 2020, 2021, and 2022, the health care cost increase will continue to be measured using the average union member health care cost increase. As with this notice, once we know the health care cost increase for each measuring year and the associated base wage increase amount we will communicate with the APA membership accordingly. 

 

Further Questions?

We hope that the above information helps inform your understanding of the upcoming annual APA wage increases and fully funded health care coverage. You can review a copy of the entire joint wage and health care agreement on the APA website at:

http://lay.wyz.mybluehost.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Final-JHCC-MOU-2018-2021.pdf

If you have additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us via email at [email protected] or phone us at the APA office at 517.999.4004.

MSU’s Open Enrollment dates are October 1 – 31 and a Benefits Fair with complete information will be held at the Breslin Center on Tuesday, October 16, from 12noon – 7pm and again on Wednesday, October 17, from 7am – 5pm. There will also be free flu shots and chair massages.

Prescription Drug Co-pays: This year co-pays for preferred brand name, non-preferred brand name, and specialty medications are increasing. However, co-pays for generic medicines remain the same.

• Preferred brand-name medicines will increase to $30/$60 for a 34/90-day supply.
• Non-preferred brand-name medicines will increase to $60/$120 for a 34/90-day supply.
• Specialty medicines will increase to $75 for a 34-day supply.

Increase to Premium Threshold for Spousal Coverage: If an employee’s spouse or other eligible individual (OEI) has access to health care coverage through their own employer, they must purchase the coverage their own employer offers if the annual premium cost for single-person coverage is $1,300 or less. The MSU health plan may pay eligible claims for your spouse/OEI as the secondary plan.

Aetna Dental Copay: The office co-pay will increase to $20.00 for all enrolled APA members. The plan coverage, design, costs, and benefits for the Delta Dental plan will remain the same as previous years.

Teladoc for Online Medical Care: Employees can speak to a licensed doctor by web, phone, or mobile app in minutes. Teladoc is an online medical care service offering 24/7 access to healthcare professionals. There is no co-pay associated with accessing service for employees.

Livongo for Diabetes Management: The Livongo program helps manage diabetes. Employees/dependents receive the Livongo connected meter, unlimited strips/lancets, and optional coaching from a health care professional and all these services are free to employees and/or their dependents once enrolled in the program.

A final reminder that the EBS Portal received required updates that resulted in a refreshed look and additional personalization/accessibility options. The sign-off button has moved from the top right to the top left of the page. The recent upgrade in SAP allows employees to “Save” their information when completing Open Enrollment instead of having to select “Next” through all of the benefit screens. This change allows employees to quickly view all of their benefit selections even if they are only completing the spousal affidavit.

Area Representative (AR) Spotlight - Tonya Jamison

What is your job title?

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Administrator III

What area of campus, building and department do you work in?

Office of Regulatory Affairs/Collins Road Complex

How long have you been at MSU?

Nine Years

How long have you been an Area Representative?

Since September 2015

Why is being a member of the Union important to you and what value does it bring?

I am union member because it is important to have a work advocate that can provide me with accurate information regarding my responsibilities, rights and ways to positively and effectively collaborate with others to make MSU an outstanding place to work! I value the union because it provides me with knowledge and a fair working wage.

What words of advice do you have for the new hires at MSU? My advice to new hires is to keep a positive attitude (my motto “attitude determines your altitude”), enroll in professional development courses to improve your skill set/knowledge, find a mentor to help you professionally navigate and everyday try to learn something new either about your position, department or MSU.

What do you love about working at MSU? I love the campus atmosphere and the institution of higher learning.

What do you like to do when you are not at work? I enjoy working out, reading and traveling.

What Is an AR and How Can a Member Find One? The AR’s are appointed by the Executive Board and their role is to assist with distributing APA materials and information and to serve as a resource for members. AR’s are assigned to a geographic area of campus, so if there is not an AR in your immediate building, you can find one nearby. For a list of AR’s go to http://lay.wyz.mybluehost.me/about/area-representatives-2/

The purpose of the Legislative Committee is to serve as a liaison between the APA Executive Board and the Michigan Education Association-Political Action Committee (MEA-PAC). Additionally, the Legislative Committee aims to connect our APA Members with the federal, state and local issues that may affect them and their employment at MSU.  

July 24th was APA’s Meet the Candidates Event.  Thank you to all of the members who came for this event!  In total, we had 12 Board of Trustees Candidates come to discuss the future of MSU. We want to thank all of the members and candidates who attended this event.  

August 7th is primary day in the State of Michigan!  For a complete list of candidates in the 2018 Primary, please visit the Secretary of State Website or this link.  In East Lansing, voters will decide on an Income Tax Proposal. This proposal will impact our membership by imposing a 1% income tax on residents and 0.5% income tax on non-residents. For more information on this proposal, visit this Link. Get out and vote!   

Did you know that your dues dollars cannot be contributed to political candidates?  APA members wishing to support can do so through a voluntary contribution to the MEA Political Action Committee (MEA-PAC).  

Interested in getting involved with the APA Legislative Committee?  Please contact Erik Maillard ([email protected]) for more information.