ARTICLE 17 - EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION
Section 1. Salary Increases.
A. General Salary Increases
1. Effective July 2, 2005, the salary rate of employees shall be increased by two percent (2%).
2. Effective October 1, 2005, the salary rate of employees shall be increased by two percent (2%).
3. Effective December 31, 2006, the salary rate of employees shall be increased by three percent (3%).
4. Effective July 1, 2007, the salary rate of employees shall be increased by one percent (1%).
5. Effective December 30, 2007, the salary rate of employees shall be increased by one-half of one percent (0.50%).
Section 2. Classification Pool.
Effective July 8, 2007, there shall be created a Salary Classification Pool. This Classification Pool shall be equal to one-half of one percent (0.50%) of the Unit payroll as of said date. In anticipation of the creation of the Salary Classification Pool, the parties shall establish a Salary Classification Committee. The Salary Classification Committee shall be composed of equal representatives of the colleges and the union chaired by the Board of Higher Education. The purpose of the Salary Classification Committee will be to review issues of recruitment and retention within the Unit, and to make recommendations to the Chancellor of the Board of Higher Education regarding the expenditure of the Salary Classification Pool. Said Salary Classification Committee shall meet from time to time, but in any event shall complete its recommendations regarding the expenditure of the Salary Classification Pool no later than May 1, 2007.
Section 3. Employees Hired, Reinstated, or Re-employed on or after July 1, 2005.
The salary rate for an employee hired, reinstated, or re-employed on or after July 1, 2005 shall be Step 1 for the job group of his/her position except in cases where an employee is hired at an approved salary rate above the usual hiring rate. Such salary rate shall be paid in accordance with the salary schedules provided in Appendices C-1 through C-6 of this Agreement.
Section 4. Step Rate Increases, Promotions, and Movement to a Lower Grade.
A. An employee shall advance under the terms of this Agreement to the next higher salary step in his/her job group until the maximum salary rate is reached unless he/she is denied such step rate by his/her CEO. Among the reasons for which the CEO may deny a salary step increase is a negative/unsatisfactory evaluation. An employee shall progress from one step to the next higher step after each fifty-two (52) weeks of creditable service in a step commencing from the first day of the payroll period immediately following his/her anniversary date or promotion date as determined within this Article. In the event an employee is denied a step rate increase by his/her CEO, he/she shall be given a written statement of reasons therefore not later than five (5) days preceding the date when the increase would otherwise have taken effect. Time off the payroll is not creditable service for the purpose of step rate increases.
B. Whenever an employee paid in accordance with the salary schedules provided in Appendices C-1 through C-6 of this Agreement receives a promotion to a higher job group, the employee’s new salary rate shall be calculated as follows:
1. determine the employee’s salary rate at his/her current job group;
2. find the next higher step within the employee’s current job group or, for employees at the maximum rate within their current job group, multiply the employee’s current salary rate by one and one tenth (1.10);
3. compare the resultant amount to the rates for the higher job group into which the employee is being promoted;
4. the employee’s salary rate shall be the first rate in the higher job group, which at least equals the resultant amount.
The anniversary date for such employees shall become the date of promotion.
C. Whenever an employee paid in accordance with the salary schedules provided in Appendices C-1 through C-6 of this Agreement shall move to a position in a lower job group, the employee shall be placed at the same step in the new, lower job group as the employee held in the higher job group prior to movement to the new position. The anniversary date for such employees shall become the date of movement to the new job group.
Section 5. General Provisions.
A. Salary rates of full-time employees are set forth in Appendix C to this Agreement and are hereby made a part of this Agreement.
B. The salary rates set forth in Appendix C shall remain in effect during the term of this Agreement. Salary rates shall not be increased or decreased except in accordance with the provisions of this Article.
C. Employees shall be compensated on the basis of the salary rate for their official job classification.
Section 6. Regular Part-Time Employees.
A regular part-time employee shall be entitled to the provisions of this Article in the proportion that his/her service bears to full-time service.
Section 7. Salary Adjustments for Employees Entering From Same or Other Bargaining Units.
A. An employee entering a position covered by this Agreement, without a break in service, from a position in an equivalent salary grade in a bargaining unit not covered by this Agreement shall be placed at the first step-in-grade up to the maximum of the grade, which at least equals the rate of compensation received immediately prior to his/her entry into the bargaining unit.
B. An employee entering a position covered by this Agreement, without a break in service, from a position in a salary grade which is the equivalent of a lower grade in a bargaining unit not covered by this Agreement shall be placed at a step-in-grade in accordance with the provisions of Section 4 of this Article.
C. An employee entering a position covered by this Agreement, without a break in service, from a position in a salary grade which is the equivalent of a higher grade in a bargaining unit not covered by this Agreement shall be placed at a step-in-grade within his/her new job based upon the employee’s creditable years of service in the equivalent of the new job grade or higher job grade, provided that in no event shall the employee be placed in a step-in-grade which results in the employee receiving a salary rate equal to or greater than the average salary received by the employee for the preceding six (6) months.
D. An employee entering a position covered by this Agreement, without a break in service, from a position of the same grade in the bargaining unit at another college covered by this Agreement, shall remain at the same step they held prior to the date of transfer. The date of transfer to the new institution shall be considered the date of hire at the new institution and the anniversary date for future step increases.
Section 8. Related Agreements
If, during the term of this Agreement, an Agreement is
A) negotiated by an employer, as defined by Chapter 150 E of the Massachusetts General Laws; and,
B) said Agreement is negotiated on behalf of a collective bargaining unit represented by AFSCME and of application to employees of the Executive Branch, the Board of Higher Education or the Board of Trustees of The University of Massachusetts; and,
C) in the event that said Agreement is submitted by the Governor or his designee to the General Court, and is funded by said General Court; and,
D) in the further event that said Agreement contains provisions for salary increases and/or a bonus(es) which are greater than the salary increases and/or bonus(es) contained in this Agreement; then, the employer agrees that it will reopen the provisions of this Article 17 of this Agreement to further collective bargaining negotiations.