MSU Administrative Professional Association

2014Race for the Place 5K_Application

 

In his 2015 budget released earlier this month, President Obama identified education as a cornerstone of his agenda to shore up the middle class and expand opportunity for all.

“I believe that what unites the people of this Nation, regardless of race or religion or party…is the simple, profound belief in opportunity for all—the notion that if you work hard and take responsibility, you can get ahead,” the President said.

The budget recognizes education as a commonsense priority for building the workforce of tomorrow, from expanding access to high quality early childhood education to funding federal K-12 programs to making higher education a possibility for hardworking students who can’t afford it.

Educators embraced the President’s focus on restoring funding for public education, even within the confines of limited resources as the nation continues to recover from the recession.

“Educators know that the road to economic security and prosperity starts in America’s classrooms,” said our national affiliate president President Dennis Van Roekel in a statement.

“Investing in early childhood education, expanding Head Start, making permanent a tax credit for college tuition and tax relief for college grants, and other middle-class tax reforms will help students, transform the economy and create opportunity for working- and middle-class families.”

The President proposes to build on the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 crafted by Sen. Patty Murry and Rep. Paul Ryan with a 1.9 percent increase for education spending in fiscal year 2015.

The President also called to reverse the sequester cuts entirely by fiscal year 2016.  “We applaud the president for moving toward ending the era of austerity,” said Van Roekel. “Replacing the unnecessary automatic budget cuts, which caused significant harm to schools and working families, with smart investments in education, infrastructure, and research and development is necessary to move the country forward.”

by Leo Sell, Legislative Committee Chairperson

From the perspective of the APA, several particulars out of the capital are worth noting. After years of disinvestment in higher education, Governor Snyder has proposed a very modest increase in state appropriations to higher education. While his administration tries to trumpet the increase, the fact is financial support for institutions such as ours remains woefully inadequate. The administration and the legislature would like to make the focus the increase and have citizens be ignorant of the fact that support for higher education was cut so precipitously over these years that even a $15+ million increase in the next budget for MSU leaves the university 10s of millions under the funding in place when the current governor entered office. Frankly, virtually all of the budget pressure is due to poorly conceived tax changes that benefited large corporations and wealthy folks and hurt people like you and me. All the while reducing the spend available for the things most working and middle class people support – education, roads, support for local city services. Which leads me to….

With the “discovery” of a billion dollar surplus, much talk is happening about reducing the state income tax. The purpose is in large part to keep reducing available revenue in the long run and keep “staving the beast”. This whole strategy that continues to be propounded by fiscal conservatives has been roundly disavowed by the original proponent David Stockman (Reagan’s OMB director). He has gone so far as to state it clearly does NOT work. And yet, here we are with the tax cut crowd continuing to try and starve that awful beast, the state and local government. The entities that provide support for police, fire, roads, civic improvement, education K-16, environment, etc. It is the wrong thing to do, but you can bet, it’s going to be done.

Lastly, speaking of the wrong thing to do – marriage equality has been in the news for some time now. MSU unions led the charge years ago to recognize same-sex partnership. We’re very proud of that leadership. And the flow of history is toward recognizing marriage equality. And yet, both the governor and the Attorney General are fighting the change tooth and nail in a variety of venues. This is a human rights issue and not a moral issue. Once again we see myopic politicals forcing their narrow belief systems onto the larger society. How does that happen? Well….

In the 2010 election, Michigan’s turn out was terrible. Only 44% of the electorate bothered themselves. Consequently it only took 23% of eligible voters to elect the current governor and much of the current legislature that is so hostile to working class and middle class interests. That turn out problem needs to change this year. Otherwise we will see a continued malaise in Michigan for the foreseeable future.

Per the APA Constitution and Bylaws, the annual APA Executive Board election shall be conducted by March 31 of each year.  This year the 2014 election is scheduled to run from March 17 – March 31, 2014.

The 2014 election will include:

APA Executive Board

Five (5) seats on the APA Executive Board with terms ending in 2017

One (1) seat on the APA Executive Board with a term ending in 2016

One (1) seat on the APA Executive Board with a term ending in 2015

MEA/NEA Delegate

Five (5) MEA/NEA delegate positions with terms ending in 2017

One (1) MEA/NEA delegate position with a term ending in 2016

One (1) MEA/NEA delegate position with a term ending in 2015

Further announcements regarding the election will be provided via the official APA ListServ. A complete list of candidates seeking office and associated biographies are posted below.  They are also available on the APA website under the APA 2014 Elections tab.  Additionally, candidate bios will be included on the ballot materials.

Please watch your email for important election information.

Scott Cooley (2017)
I have been an employee at Michigan State University for the last 9 years.  During that time, I have been a member of the APA for 9 years.  Currently, my official job title is Information Technologist II and I work in IT Services.

Carol Graysmith  – Incumbent: Current Board Member (2016)
I have been an employee at Michigan State University for the last 20 years. During that time, I have been a member of the APA for 20 years. Currently, my official job title is IT Professional and I work in The Learning and Assessment Center in the College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Patrick Homminga (2016)
Hello my name is Patrick Homminga. I have been an employee at Michigan State University for the last 12.5 years. During that time, I have been a member of the APA union for approximately 6 years. Currently, my official job title is Network Wireless Manager and I work in IT Infrastructure department of IT Services.

John Hayes (2017)
I have been an employee at Michigan State University for the last 22 years. During that time, I have been a member of the APA for 18+ years. Currently, my official job title is Systems Analyst and I work in the department of Content and Collaboration.

Patricia Hampton  – Incumbent: Current Board Member (2017)
I have been an employee at Michigan State University for the last 30 years. During that time, I have been a member of the APA for 5 years. Currently, my official job title is Sponsored Programs Administrator III and I work in the Office of Sponsored Programs.

Richard Ivans (2016)
I have been an employee at Michigan State University for the last 28 years. During that time, I have been a member of the APA for 28 years. Currently, my official job title is Help Desk Level 2 and I work in
IT Services.

Maurice “Maury” Koffman, Esq.  – Incumbent: Current Board Member (2017)
Maury has been an employee at Michigan State University for the last nine years.  During that time, he has been a member of the APA for the entire nine years.

Currently, Maury serves as the APA President and Chairperson.  He currently works through the Office of the Vice President of Human Resources and previously as an Information Technology Professional in IT Services.

Maury is the chair of the APA Grievance Committee and also chaired the 2013 APA wage and health care bargaining team.  He has also served the legislative, finance, and communications committees.

Maury graduated from MSU College of Law with a focus on employment and labor law.

Danny Layne (2017)
I have been an employee at Michigan State University for the last 19 years. During that time, I have been a member of the APA during those years. Currently, my official job title is Info Tech I and I work in the Residential & Hospitality Services division.

Aaron Ledger  – Incumbent: Current Board Member (2017)
I have been an employee at Michigan State University for the last 7 years. During that time, I have been a member of the APA 7 years and a member of the APA board for the last 3 years. Prior to that I served as an APA Area representative for 2 years. Currently, my official job title is Information Technology Professional and I work in IT Services department on the Desktop Support team.

Nicole Proctor  – Incumbent: Current Board Member (2017)
I have been an employee at Michigan State University for the last eight years. During that time, I have been a member of the APA for six years. Currently, my official job title is Development Officer II and I work for University Advancement in the College of Engineering.

Allyson Rogers (2016)
I have been an employee at Michigan State University nearing two years. During that time, I have been a member of the APA for two years. Currently, my official job title is Health Promotion & Communication Specialist and I work at Student Health Services.

Jen Shangraw  – Incumbent: Current Board Member (2017)
I have been an employee at Michigan State University and APA member for the past 14 years.  I work at the College of Music as the Director of Recording Services.  I currently serve on the APA executive board and chair the Communications Committee.

Ryan Simmons (2016)
I have been an employee at Michigan State University for the last 25 years.  During that time, I have been a member of the APA for 25 years.  Currently, my official job title is Systems Analyst I and I am part of the Scholarly Services team within the Teaching and Learning Support Department in IT Services.

Laura Wise  – Incumbent: Current Board Member (2015)
I have been an employee at Michigan State University for the last 5 years. During that time, I have been a member of the APA for 3 years. Currently, my official job titles are International Student Advisor and Experiential Learning Coordinator with the Office for International Students and Scholars. I am also the Career Placement Officer for the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program.

The opportunities on campus for internal positions are extensive.  MSU-APA represents about 2,300 members in over 300 classifications on multiple campuses across the state. You can search APA and all MSU job classifications on https://jobclassifications.hr.msu.edu/

Vacancies
The postings for new vacancies can be found on the Michigan Applicant Page https://jobs.msu.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1394476834593. The postings are updated weekly. Human Resources provides the list of candidates to the employing department. The department must interview at least five APA qualified candidates, Article 14 MSU-APA Collective Bargaining Agreement. A department may also interview outside applicants.

Contractually, a member is allowed time for the purpose of interviewing, but it is up to the discretion of the member to assess whether that is prudent within the current work assignment.

Reclassification
Over time job duties may change that deviate from the job description of the member’s current position. Acquiring additional duties may precipitate a need for reclassification to higher level position.

An assessment will be made by your department and Human Resources on the duties/responsibilities of the position and the knowledge and skill levels required. A department and the Association both may initiate a request for a position reclassification.

Promotion/Demotions
A reclassification requires no less than the minimum salary of the higher grade level. It is also a minimum of a five percent salary increase for a higher grade level and ten percent for promoted two or more grade levels, Article 13 and 15 MSU-APA Collective Bargaining Agreement.

A lowering of a grade level may be construed as discipline; it is recommended a member facing this issue contact the APA Office at (517) 353-4898 for assistance.

For this installment of APA Questions From The Trenches, we asked APA President Maury Koffman to highlight a few questions raised by members regarding the discontinuation of the MEBS optional vision coverage.

What is the date the MEBS optional employee-paid vision will be discontinued?
MSU employees enrolled in the MEBS/CLO vision plan were recently informed by MEBS that their coverage under the plan has been canceled effective February 1, 2014.

Why has the employee-paid MEBS optional vision program been discontinued?
The company that administered the vision plan, Michigan Employee Benefits Services (MEBS), publicly announced that it is going out of business and will no longer offer benefit products.

What do I do if I had a claim to submit for costs incurred prior to February 1, 2014?
If you have questions about outstanding claims for services that occurred up to January 31, 2014 under the MEBS Vision Plan, please contact MEBS directly at 1-800-968-9682.

Do I need to take any action to cease payroll deduction of my monthly MEBS payments?
No deductions for February coverage were taken from APA members. There will be no further deductions taken by MSU moving forward and those individuals enrolled into MEBS automatically had payroll deduction terminated.

Is an alternative employee-paid optional vision plan available?
An employee-paid vision plan through VSP is available with payroll deduction of premiums to benefits-eligible MSU employees and their eligible dependents through MSUBenefitsPlus.com, MSU’s voluntary benefits program.

When do I enroll for the VSP employee-paid option vision coverage?
Enrollment for the VSP coverage is limited to the annual open enrollment period in October.  Therefore, the next open enrollment period is in October with coverage effective in January 2015.

Where can I obtain additional information regarding the VSP employee-paid optional vision coverage?
You can get more information about the VSP plan at http://www.hr.msu.edu/benefits/benefits_docs/VSP_Summary.pdf

Who should I call with my additional questions?
APA members should feel free to directly contact MEBS at 1-800-968-6327, choose option 6, or by email at [email protected].

As many established members know, the first few months at Michigan State University can be a struggle for new employees.  Working at one of the world’s largest campuses with one of the largest student bodies, learning hundreds of policies and procedures, or even just acclimating to the unique culture of higher education can be overwhelming.  Even long-term employees sometimes experience fresh challenges as they change positions.

Two years ago the MSU Administrative Professional Association began a new member welcome program to help make the process a bit easier. Within the first few months of joining the APA, new members are invited to meet with an APA representative to learn about their union, its services, and how their negotiated contract specifically benefits them.  This one-to-one forum gives members the opportunity to ask those employment questions most relevant to their careers and lives.

Member feedback has been tremendously positive.

However, the program doesn’t stop there. Within a month or two after the 6 month interim evaluation check point, the APA Area Representatives join the conversation.  New members can expect to hear from their local AR and be asked how things are going and if their interim evaluation was done. While we encourage members to contact the office at any point with questions, this is a great opportunity for new members to ask any questions they gained since their one-to-one and learn a little more about the provisions of their contract.

Last, but far from least, after the completion of the probation year, members are invited to a lunch session with our president, Maury Koffman and executive staff-person, Melissa Sortman.  Maury and Melissa talk about rights and protections of “just cause” and many of the negotiated contract benefits added at the 12 month time point. Members are also reminded of all the engagement, education and social activities regularly ongoing for existing members.

Whether joining Michigan State University and our union for the first time, or transferring from another classification on campus, the Administrative Professional Association strives to help new members navigate their new contract and the myriad of services and negotiated benefits provided.  APA regularly receives encouragement to keep the program going and plans to do so!

The Association encourages all members to call 517-353-4898 or email [email protected] with any questions they may have.  APA also invites all members to participate in the numerous community and regional lunches, lunch & learn speaker series, More You Know contract sessions, annual membership meeting, special and constituency information sessions, and the many social and charitable activities.

Per the APA Constitution and Bylaws, the annual APA Executive Board election shall be conducted by March 31 of each year.  This year the 2014 election is scheduled to run from March 17 – March 31, 2014.

The 2014 election will include:

APA Executive Board

Five (5) seats on the APA Executive Board with terms ending in 2017

One (1) seat on the APA Executive Board with terms ending in 2016

One (1) seat on the APA Executive Board with terms ending in 2015

MEA/NEA Delegate

Five (5) MEA/NEA delegate positions with terms ending in 2017

One (1) MEA/NEA delegate positions with terms ending in 2016

One (1) MEA/NEA delegate positions with terms ending in 2015

This communication serves as notice of the election and the opening of candidate nominations.  All nominations must be submitted via email to the chair of the APA 2014 Elections Committee, Erica Phillipich, at [email protected] no later than 4pm on February 10, 2014.

All members in good standing are eligible for nomination. After close of nominations, properly nominated candidates will be contacted by the Committee to confirm willingness to run for office.

The APA 2014 Elections Committee includes: Erica Phillipich (Chair), Sue Brandt, Dave Graff, Cindy Helms, and Elias Lopez.

Each year, the APA Nominations and Elections Committee work diligently to operate an efficient, accurate, and transparent election in compliance with the APA Constitution and Bylaws.  In doing so, the Committee has scheduled an open ballot testing on March 11, 2014.

There will also be an election results announcement on March 31, 2014.

Both public election events are open to full members of the APA and will commence at 5:15pm at the APA Office, located at 1480 Kendale Blvd., Suite 300 in East Lansing.   If you have any questions please feel free to contact Erica Phillipich, [email protected].

Further announcements around the election will be provided in future APA Newsletters and via the official APA ListServ. Please watch your email for important election information.