State, unions reach deal on contracts

06/30/2007

By Patrick Condon,
Associated Press
June 30, 2007


The state and the two unions that represent most state workers have reached a tentative contract agreement that will give across-the-board pay raises for workers.

The deal was reached at about 12:15 this morning between negotiators for the Pawlenty administration and two unions, the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 5. It would give state workers a 3.25-percent salary increase both this year and again next year, a boost over the 2-percent raise the same workers got each of the last two years.

The deal must be ratified by the rank-and-file membership of both unions, with ballots to be counted in early August.

The deal was reached just a day before the expiration of the current contract, which will be extended until members ratify the new one. But it's still a tidier wrapup than in recent years: Two years ago, contract talks were delayed until after an impasse between Pawlenty and lawmakers that led to a partial government shutdown; In 2001 and 2003, negotiations were tense and, in 2001, led to a two-week state worker strike before a new contract could be set.

"We're pleaded that the employer has agreed that we deserve a raise to help offset inflation," Eliot Seide, lead negotiator for AFSCME, said in a statement. His counterpart at MAPE, Jim Monroe, called the deal "an excellent compensation package."

Union negotiators said they were able to hold back proposals by the state that would have meant too much of an increase in workers' share of health care costs. Negotiators didn't release exact details of the the health care provisions, but AFSCME said workers would only see "modest increases" in their out-of-pocket health care costs.

Pawlenty's office did not return phone calls seeking comment Saturday.

Seide said the average state employee's yearly salary is $36,000. AFSCME Council 5 represents about 19,000 state employees, including service employees, health care non-professionals, technical workers, clerical/office staff, and craft, maintenance and labor employees. MAPE represents about 11,500 workers, ranging from accountants to zoologists.

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On the Net:

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 5: http://www.afscmemn.org/

Minnesota Association of Professional Employees: http://www.mape.org