For this installment of APA Questions From The Trenches, we asked APA President Maury Koffman to highlight answers to questions raised by members regarding the ongoing 2017 joint wage and health care negotiations with MSU.
Who participates in the joint wage and health care negotiations process?
As has been the past practice for nearly the last 20 years, the APA has joined with the other support staff unions on campus to negotiate a successor wage and health care agreement. Our current wage and health care agreement is in effect through December 31, 2017. Any tentative successor agreement is presented to the APA membership for review and a ratification vote.
Who sits at the bargaining table for the APA in these negotiations?
Each union has one or two representatives at the bargaining table. APA President and Chairperson Maury Koffman, and APA Treasurer Erica Phillipich, are serving as the representatives for the APA. Â
Additionally, the support staff unions collectively asked APA/MEA UniServ Director, Melanie Waltz, to serve as the co-chief negotiator, a role the APA previously served during the 2013 joint wage and health care negotiations.
When did bargaining begin?
The MSU Administration contacted the APA and all support staff unions to begin negotiations in March 2017. This information was communicated to the APA membership via the APA Newsletter, APA Community Luncheons, and other APA member meetings and trainings.
What issues are being discussed at the negotiations table?
Only the issues of base wage and health care can be discussed and negotiated at this joint wage and health care bargaining table. Only when a tentative agreement is reached can we then present specifics regarding a proposed successor wage and health care agreement.
Who should I call with my additional questions?
The APA will do all it can to keep the membership updated with specifics while still upholding our duty to bargain in good faith with MSU. Rest assured that the APA continues our fight to preserve and enhance the current wages and health care benefits of all APA members.
APA members should feel free to contact the APA office at 517.999.4004 or via email at [email protected] with any questions or concerns.