Dear MSP Members,

Your bargaining team met last Friday (June 13) and finished presenting all of the bargaining issues we ratified back in December. We feel as if the conversations have been very productive, with some good back and forth on some of the key issues you asked us to propose: phased retirement, an enhanced and more flexible sabbatical leave benefit, research leave for tenure track faculty, firm commitments on completing the Amherst 250 Plan, as well as a number of other issues. There are no firm gains to celebrate yet, but we are encouraged by the discussions.

On the other hand, the entire process has been delayed by the Governor, who has yet to authorize financial parameters to any state employee union. We were told weeks ago that the Office of Employee Relations (OER) had asked the university to calculate the cost of a 3% raise but we have heard nothing since. We made clear, however, to the administration negotiators that anything below 3.8% (the cost of living increase for last year, for the northeast region) would represent a pay cut and was unacceptable. In Framingham (which Nancy Folbre reported on last week) the Governor indicated that he hoped to have parameters to us by the end of this month (when our current contract expires) but no parameters have come. In other words, the Governor and his staff have made it impossible to complete a contract on time - i.e. by June 30.

MTA leaders (and leaders of all other state employee unions) are meeting with the staff of OER tomorrow; I will report anything more we hear from that meeting. In the meantime, we have only scheduled one other negotiation session - July 9. Because of this delay in offering fair parameters, the Governor may very well push negotiations into the fall. If the parameters are fair, and we get real movement on our main proposals, then these negotiations can be completed before we return for the fall semester. But your bargaining team feels strongly that although our goal has always been to complete contract negotiations on time, it is more important to achieve a strong contract. We are fully prepared to take these negotiations into the fall if necessary.

Max Page
MSP President