STATE OF CONNECTICUT
NANCY WYMAN COMPTROLLER	OFFICE OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER 55 ELM STREET HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT 06106-1775	MARK OJAKIAN DEPUTY COMPTROLLER

INTERDEPARTMENTAL MEMORANDUM

July 13, 2009

I. AUTHORITY

Vocational Federation of Teachers, Local 4200A, American Federation of Teachers Bargaining Unit Employees Contract Amendment and Extension July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2012

II. SALARIES (ARTICLE 3)

A. Salaries for Full-Time Employees (Article 3.1)

1. General Wage Increases
Effective at the start of the pay period that includes September 1, 2009, there will be no increase in the rates on the Salary Schedule for full- time teachers (See Appendix A of contract).

 

Effective at the start of the pay period that includes September 1, 2010, all rates on the Salary Schedule for full-time teachers (Appendix A) will be increased by three percent (3%).

 

Effective at the start of the pay period that includes September 1, 2011, all rates on the Salary Schedule for full-time teachers (Appendix A) will be increased by three percent (3%).

 

2. Compensation For Degrees
For the 2009-2010 contract year, there will be funds equivalent to three quarters of one percent (.75%) of the base salary account for full-time teachers as of September 1, 2009, to be used for the purpose of funding the Degree Scale payments (Appendix G).

 

For the 2010-2011 contract year, there will be funds equivalent to one percent (1%) of the base salary account for full-time teachers as of September 1, 2010, to be used for the purpose of funding the Degree Scale payments (Appendix G).

For the 2011-2012 contract year, there will be funds equivalent to one percent (1%) of the base salary account for full-time teachers as of September 1, 2011, to be used for the purpose of funding the Degree Scale payments (Appendix G).

 

B. Method of Salary Payment (Article 3.2)

The current method of salary payment will continue. For new employees or employees returning from leave at the start of the school year, the first paycheck will be for the number of days actually worked starting with the first day of work in the school year (i.e., the first official teacher day in the year). Salary will continue to be paid for the remainder of the twenty-six biweekly pay periods, provided the full school year is worked. An employee who separates before the completion of all biweekly pay periods will be entitled to a pro-rata salary adjustment, based on the number of days actually worked; any adjustment will be at the per-diem rate in effect at the date of separation.

 

C. Payment for Extracurricular Duties (Article 3.3)

The Department will provide payment for extracurricular duties, to be paid as follows:

 

Extracurricular Duty	Payable
Fall sports	November
Winter sports	March
Spring sports	June
Seasonal activities	as above
Year-long activities	January and June equal payments

 

An employee who does not complete an extracurricular assignment, or who performs such assignment for only a portion of the season or year will receive only pro rata payment.

 

D. Mileage Reimbursement (Article 3.8)
Mileage reimbursement will be in accordance with standard State travel policy. The rate of reimbursement will be at the U.S. General Service Administration (GSA) rate provided for non-bargaining unit employees of the State Department of Education.

 

Notwithstanding any prior practice, whenever an employee is required to travel to a mandatory statewide professional development conference and the distance is greater than the employee's normal commuting distance, the employee will be reimbursed for the extra travel involved at the prevailing rate for mileage reimbursement.

E. Annual Increments and Pay for Teachers at Maximum (Article 3.9)

 

1. Annual Increments
A full-time employee who is employed in a permanent position will receive annual increments provided that in the previous school year, the employee worked or was in pay status for at least one-half of the days in the work year as set forth in Article Six, Section One.

 

In years 2009-2010 and 2011-2012 of the agreement, teachers will advance one step on the salary schedule, in accordance with previously established standards and procedures. There will be no advancement in steps during the 2010-2011 contract year. New employees or employees returning from leave of absence without pay must work not fewer than ninety-three (93) school days in order to be eligible for the annual increment in the following school year.

 

2. Payments for Teachers at Maximum - Lump Sum

For the 2009-2010 contract year, payable the first pay period in January 2010, a $1,100 lump sum payment will be made to teachers who are at the maximum step of the salary schedule.

 

There will be no payments for teachers at maximum in the 2010-2011 contract year.

For the 2011-2012 contract year, payable the first pay period in January 2012, a $1,500 lump sum payment will be made to teachers who are at the maximum step of the salary schedule.

 

F. Longevity
Employees will continue to be eligible for longevity payments for the life of the contract. The longevity schedule remains unchanged. See Appendix C of this agreement for further detail.

III. PERSONAL DAYS (ARTICLE 4.3)

1. On the first day of the school year, all full-time bargaining unit employees will be credited with three (3) days of personal leave without loss of pay of benefits, not deducted from sick leave credits and not accumulated from school year to school year except as provided in section (f) of the agreement. Any personal days or portions thereof, which are not used by the end of the school year, may be returned to the State for payment. Payment will be at the daily substitute rate in effect on June 1st.

 

2. Instructors appointed after the beginning of the school year but before April 1st will likewise be credited with three (3) personal leave days per school year on appointment. In the event the new instructor separates from his/her position prior to December 31st and has used more than one day of personal leave, the employer will deduct from his/her final paycheck an amount equal to the personal leave used in excess of one day. The amount due will be calculated at the instructor's per diem rate.

 

3. No more than one personal day may be carried over to the following calendar year, but it must be used prior to the end of the school year. If said day, or any portion thereof, is not used by the end of the school year, it may be returned to the State for payment as provided in article 4 section a of the agreement.

IV. CAREER DEVELOPMENT (ARTICLE 5)

The Board will allocate funds for the tuition reimbursement program for courses and other programs approved in accordance with this Article outside of regular working hours as follows:

 

2009-2010	$475,000
2010-2011	$500,000
2011-2012	$500,000

 

Funds remaining from the annual allocation at the end of a given year will be carried forward and will not lapse. Tuition reimbursement funds are available to full-time permanent employees in the bargaining unit as well as to the following categories of employees covered by the Supplemental Agreement:

 

a. Durational Employees

 

b. Regularly scheduled part-time employees paid on an hourly basis and employed in the regular day program.

 

1. Tuition will be reimbursed up to nine (9) credits or 135 clock hours for skilled trade programs per fiscal year at the rate of one hundred percent (100%) for courses taken within the State's higher education system.

 

2. Tuition reimbursement is applied only to tuition and does not include fees of any kind, textbooks, or other incidental expenses. Costs eligible for reimbursement in other types of professional development activities will be as determined by the Union President, subject to the approval of the Superintendent; reimbursement is applied only to the cost of the program, and does not include transportation, meals, or lodging.

 

3. Tuition reimbursement will not exceed 100% of the per credit cost of the University of Connecticut.

 

4. Courses taken outside the State's higher education system are reimbursable at the actual cost not to exceed the amount in (3).

 

5. Skilled Trade programs will be reimbursed at the rate of $7.00 per clock hour up to the maximum of 135 clock hours.

Requests to take reimbursable courses must be endorsed by the Superintendent or his/her designee prior to enrollment in the course. Requests received up to two (2) weeks after enrollment may be considered subject to availability of funds. Requests received more than two (2) weeks after enrollment may be considered for payment at the end of the fiscal year.

V. WORKING CONDITIONS (ARTICLE 6)

Night Shift Differential (Article 6.1)
Nurse Instructors who are required to teach on work days commencing after 12:00 p.m. will be paid a night shift differential of $1.50 per hour.

VI. STIPENDS, HOURLY RATES, AND L.P.N. PARKING

A. Production Job (Article 6.3)
Employees on outside production jobs who are required to have lunch at the production site more than twenty times per year will be paid a stipend of $250. See contract for additional information.

 

B. Athletic Coordinator, Coaches, and Advisors Stipend (Appendix B)
Athletic Coordinator, Coaches, and Advisors Stipend will be increased as follows:

2009-2010	no increase
2010-2011	3%
2011-2012	3%

 

C. Hourly Rates - Night School, Summer School, and Special Programs (Appendix D)
The hourly rate for summer school, special programs, night school, and the apprentice program will be as follows:

 

School Year	Instructor	Supervisor
2009-2010	$26.23	$31.45
2010-2011	$27.01	$32.39
2011-2012	$27.82	$33.36

 

D. L.P.N. Parking (Appendix E)
The State will establish a pool of $1200 each contract year to be allocated for parking expenses for L.P.N. Instructors incurred during the clinical phase. Upon submission of a proper receipt, the payment will be made on a first come first serve basis.

 

E. Daily Substitute Rate (Appendix F)
The daily substitute rate for clinical instructors in the LPN program will be $300 per day. The daily substitute rate for all other substitutions will not be increased in 2009-2010. The amount previously stated for 2009-2011 will be the amount for 2010-2012.

VII. TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT AS DEPARTMENT HEAD (ARTICLE 19.3)

An employee temporarily assigned in writing by the Principal to serve as Department Head will, commencing with the fifteenth consecutive workday, retroactive to the first workday, be paid at the Department Head rate.

VIII. SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT

A. Salaries (Article 3.1)
All regularly scheduled part-time employees who teach in the regular day program will be paid on a prorated portion of the full-time salary for VS 01, at such step as the Superintendent will determine at the time of hire. Provided that the employee works twenty-one (21) hours or more per week (60 percent or more), the employee will be eligible for an annual increment in the next school year on the same basis as full-time employees. See Appendix A of the agreement for details.

Hourly rates for all other part-time employees are set forth in Appendix B.

 

Stipends for athletic coordinators, coaches, and advisors are set forth in Appendix D.

 

B. Payment for Extracurricular Duties Coaches and Advisors (Article 3.2)

 

Extracurricular Duty	Payable
Fall sports	November
Winter sports	March
Spring sports	June
Seasonal activities	as above
Year-long activities	January and June equal payments

 

An employee who does not complete an extracurricular assignment, or who performs such assignment for only a portion of the season or year will receive only pro rata payment.

 

C. Salary Schedules (Article 21)

Full-time durational employees will be paid in accordance with Appendix A.

 

Stipend part-time employees will be paid in accordance with Appendix B.

Except as provided in Article 3 of the Supplemental Agreement, all other part- time employees will be paid in accordance with Appendix D.

 

Daily substitutes will be paid in accordance with Appendix F.

IX. FURLOUGH DAYS

There will be mandatory furlough days for all members of the State Vocational Federation of Teachers bargaining unit. There will be one furlough day in the current fiscal year, and three unpaid furlough days in each of the next two fiscal years for a total of seven furlough days. In recognition of the unique circumstances of the Aviation Program, the instructors in that program will take no furlough day in the current fiscal year, four unpaid furlough days in 2009-2010 and three furlough days in 2010-2011 for a total of seven furlough days. Please refer to the Memorandum of Agreement between the State of Connecticut and State Vocational Federation of Teachers bargaining unit for specific details.

 

Core-CT has issued furlough day processing instructions in the HR Daily Mails dated May 19, 2009 and May 21, 2009.

X. SCHEDULED PAYMENT DATES

A. General Wage Increase

B. Annual Increments

C. Lump Sum Payment

XI. PAYROLL PROCEDURES

A. Implementation of General Wage Increases and Annual Increments New pay plans will be implemented centrally with the new hourly rate and bi-weekly salary effective with the pay period, at the proper time.

 

B. Stipends

1. On the Weekly Elapsed Time Page: Amount; Time Reporting Code XMISP.

 

2. On the Additional Pay Page: Amount; Earnings Code MPS.

XII. GENERAL

You may direct requests for assistance as follows:

 

Payroll Procedures:	Office of the State Comptroller
	Payroll Services Division, (860) 702-3462;
Contract Issues:	Agency Personnel Officers;
Tuition Reimbursement:	Office of the State Comptroller
	Fiscal Policy Division, (860) 702-3334;
Memorandum Interpretation:	Office of the State Comptroller
	Fiscal Policy Division, (860) 702-3440.

NANCY WYMAN
STATE COMPTROLLER

NW:ED
cc: Karen Shaw, SDE

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