Board Attendance: Banach, Barker, Berlin, Brewer, Ciesielski, Domier, Gross, Lawrence, Levine, McGinty, Misra, Paynter, Phillis, Scharrer, Schmalzer, Smethurst, Sugerman, Weinbaum

Guest: Melissa Woodard

Absent: Ash, Brandt, Brigham, McDermott, Mosselson, Phillips,

Staff: Gallagher, Reardon, Wulkan

1.         Board Minutes

Minutes of April 20 adopted with 2 abstentions.

2.         Dental Insurance

            Health & Welfare Trustee Melissa Woodard spoke to the Board about potential benefit changes: covering dependent up to the age of 26 or increasing the maximum annual benefit.  This is the first time in 10 years that the Fund has solid reserves.  The plan is up for renewal very soon.  The Board of the plan has already voted to increase the annual maximum from $1,000 to $1,200 contingent on a deal with Met Life.  Melissa and the Board discussed the pros and cons of offering a tiered plan where members would have the option of paying an additional premium for additional coverage.

3.         Announcements

            a) MSP survey on Chancellor’s performance.  The Board discussed whether to post the results.  Some argued that this relates to a personnel action and should be treated confidentially.  Others thought that our members want to know the results of surveys they participate in.  The Board voted 15-1 to post the graphs showing summary results, 13-3 to not post raw comments, and 11-5 to post a summary of the comments.

            b) Bus to Boston tomorrow for hearing of Revenue Committee on An Act to Invest in Our Communities which would generate $1.3 billion from reforms to the personal income and capital gains taxes, almost all of it coming from the wealthy.

            c) What happened this year?

·         Academic Year Salary grievance won

·         Question 3 defeated

·         Library arbitration successful

·         Mergers delayed

·         Start of contract negotiation process

·         Deval Patrick re-elected

·         Distance ed. bargaining attempted

·         De-merger of PSIS

·         Pre-tenure instructional workload

Thanks to the Board!!

4.         Extraordinary Merit

            The Board heard a report about the mediation that took place April 29.  This was followed by lengthy discussion of various components of the tentative agreement, the process for review by the membership, and straw polls as to what the Board might recommend.  The conclusion was that the team would go back to the administration and say we cannot accept the agreement as currently framed, and that further discussions are needed.  The Board was divided as to whether a good agreement was likely.