INTERDEPARTMENTAL MEMORANDUM

May 8, 2006

TO THE HEADS OF ALL STATE AGENCIES

To:	Chief Administrative and Fiscal Officers, Business Managers, and Payroll and Personnel Officers
Subject:	Bi-Weekly Increases, Annual Increments and Additional Provisions For Education Professionals (P-3B) Bargaining Unit Employees, July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2009

I. AUTHORITY

The interest arbitration award between the State of Connecticut and the Connecticut State Employees Association concerning the Education Professionals (P-3B) bargaining unit, for the period July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2009, which was ratified by the Legislature on May 5, 2006.

II. COMPENSATION (Article 19)

A. General Wage Increases

General wage increases will be effective as follows:

Effective Date	Increase
July 1, 2005	0%
July 7, 2006	3% of Base Salary
July 6, 2007	3% of Base Salary
July 1, 2008	3.5% of Base Salary

B. Annual Increments

Employees will continue to be eligible for and receive annual increments during the term of this contract in accordance with existing practice. There will be no annual increment for 2005-2006.

Effective Date	Payable
2006-2007	July 2006/January 2007
2007-2008	July 2007/January 2008
2008-2009	July 2008/January 2009

C. $500 Lump Sum Payment

State School Teachers (12 month), Pupil Services Specialists (12 month) and Correction Department Vocational Instructors (12 month), who were employed as of July 1 and remained employed through October 1, will receive a lump sum payment of $500. The payment for October 1, 2005 should have already been made.

D. Longevity

Employees will continue to be eligible for longevity payments for the life of he contract in accordance with existing practice. An employee's total length of state service, including war service, will be utilized to determine longevity eligibility.

E. Shift and Weekend Differential

Mental Retardation Adult Services Instructors, State School Teachers, Correctional Recreation Supervisors and Correction Department Vocational Instructors are eligible.

	Hourly Rate	Hourly Rate	Hourly Rate
	Effective	Effective	Effective
Differential	June 23, 2006	July 6, 2007	July 6, 2008
Night Shift	$ .75/hr.	$ .85/hr.	No Change
Weekend	.50/hr.	.60/hr.	$ .75/hr.

F. Annual Skill Premium (EMT's)

Emergency Medical Technicians who are regularly assigned E.M.T. duties are eligible to receive a $400 stipend on or about October 1 of each contract year. Effective October 1, 2008, the EMT stipend will be $475. The payment for October 1, 2005 should have already been made.

G. Daily Pay Rates for Substitute Teachers and Substitute Instructors

The daily pay rates for substitute teachers and instructors shall be increased by the same percentage as any subsequent general wage increase in the P-3B bargaining unit.

III. TUITION REIMBURSEMENT (Article 24)

The State will allocate for tuition reimbursement each contract year the following:

2005-2006	$75,000
2006-2007	$75,000
2007-2008	$75,000
2008-2009	$75,000

Unspent funds will carry over to the next fiscal year but will expire at the end of the contract. Applications submitted and approved within the final six months of the contract may be paid with available funds up to three months following expiration of the contract.

The tuition reimbursement rate for credit courses at accredited institutions of higher education, including distance learning courses offered by such institutions, will be 100% of the cost of tuition, laboratory fees and community college service fees up to a maximum of 75% of the per credit rate, including fees, for undergraduate and graduate courses at the University of Connecticut at Storrs.

IV. PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOP FUND (Article 25)

The State will allocate to the Professional Conference and Workshop Fund each contract year the following:

2005-2006	$40,000
2006-2007	$40,000
2007-2008	$40,000
2008-2009	$40,000

These funds are to be used for defraying expenses incurred for attendance by permanent employees at professional seminars, workshops, or conferences. Unspent funds from one fiscal year will carry over into the next fiscal year. The conference fund will expire at expiration of the contract. Applications submitted and approved within the final six months of the contract may be paid with available funds ups to three months following expiration of the contract.

Each eligible employee will be entitled to a maximum of $500 reimbursement per contract year toward the cost of fees, travel, food and/or lodging related to attendance at such events. An employee may use the fund once in a two-year period for an expenditure in excess of $500 but not greater than $1,000. Use of the fund for expenditures of less than $500 will not entitle the employee to use the fund for an additional expenditure in excess of $500 in any two-year period (no carry over credit). Reimbursement shall be consistent with standard state travel regulations.

Effective July 1, 2006, the maximum reimbursement amount will be increased to $750 per contract year and $1,500 for the one time use in a two-year period.

V. TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT (Article 28)

Meals

When authorized, in accordance with the Standard State Travel Regulations, any employee who is required to travel on employer business will be reimbursed at the following rates:

	Current
	Rates
Breakfast	$ 8.00
* Lunch	10.00
Dinner	20.00

* Applicable to out-of-state travel or when authorized in accordance with the Standard State Travel Regulations issued by the Commissioner of Administrative Services.

(1) Taxes on meals will be full reimbursed.

(2) Gratuities will be reimbursed to a maximum of 15% of the allowable maximum.

An employee who is required to remain away from home overnight in order to perform their regular duties of his/her position may be reimbursed for lodging expenses in accordance with the Standard State Travel Regulations issued by DAS.

Personal Vehicle

Employees required to utilize a personal vehicle for State business for 50% of the assigned monthly work days (which must be at least nine work days) will be paid a daily auto usage fee of $4.25 for each day of required usage, in addition to mileage reimbursement.

Effective July 1, 2006, the daily auto usage fee will be increased to $4.50.

Mileage reimbursement will be paid at the GSA rate (currently 44.5 cents) subject to readjustment with he U.S. GSA rate.

VI. QUALITY OF WORK LIFE FUND (Article 59)

The State will allocate to the Quality of Work Life Fund each year of the contract the following:

2005-2006	$60,000
2006-2007	$60,000
2007-2008	$60,000
2008-2009	$60,000

Unspent funds will carry forward into the next contract year to be added to that year's allocation. The quality of work life fund will expire on expiration of this contract. Applications for funds which are submitted and approved within the final six months of the contract may be paid with the remaining available funds up to three months following expiration of this agreement.

VII. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING - DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION MEAL MONEY

Employees in the Vocational Instructor job classification in the Department of Correction are eligible for the Department of Correction meal allowance in those correctional facilities in which the employees have opted for the meal allowance. The meal rate will be applied to each shift actually worked. The per meal rate will be the rate provided to the majority of the correctional employees and will be adjusted in accordance with the rate provided to the majority of the correctional employees.

VIII. RETROACTIVE PAYMENTS

A. Retroactive $500 Twelve Month Lump Sum Payment

Agencies may have already paid this lump sum payment to appropriate employees. If this was not paid, please process payment as follows:

Effective Date	Check Date
October 2005	06/09/06

B. Retroactive EMT Premium

Agencies may have already paid this EMT Premium to appropriate employees. If this was not paid, please process payment as follows:

Effective Date	Check Date
October 2005	06/09/06

IX. SCHEDULED PAYMENT DATES

A. General Wage Increase

The general wage increase will be made centrally at the proper time.

Agency staff must review the Salary Change Mass Update by Plan/Pay Group Report and the Inactive and Transferred Employees Report.

Effective Date	Pay Period	Check Date
July 7, 2006	07/07/06 - 07/20/06	08/04/06
July 6, 2007	07/06/07 - 07/19/07	08/03/07
July 1, 2008	06/20/08 - 07/03/08	07/18/08 (Split Pay)

B. Annual Increments

Annual increments will be entered centrally at the proper time as follows:

Effective Date	Pay Period	Check Date
July 2006	06/23/06 - 07/06/06	07/21/06
January 2007	12/22/06 - 01/04/07	01/19/07
July 2007	06/22/07 - 07/05/07	07/20/07
January 2008	12/21/07 - 01/03/08	01/18/08
July 2008	06/20/08 - 07/03/08	07/18/08
January 2009	12/19/08 - 01/01/09	01/16/09

All Other Agencies

Employees on the P-3B extended pay plans must have their rates manually adjusted.

All other agencies must manually adjust their employees' masterfile record with the correct bi-weekly salary amount and rate of pay.

C. $500 Twelve Month Lump Sum Payments

Effective Date	Pay Period	Check Date
10/01/06	09/29/06 - 10/12/06	10/27/06
10/01/07	09/28/07 - 10/11/07	10/26/07
10/01/08	09/26/08 - 10/09/08	10/24/08