STATE OF CONNECTICUT
	OFFICE OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER
Kevin Lembo State Comptroller	55 ELM STREET HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT 06106-1775	Martha Carlson Deputy Comptroller

MEMORANDUM NO. 2012-13

May 21, 2012

TO THE HEADS OF ALL STATE AGENCIES

I. AUTHORITY

The memorandum of understanding between the State of Connecticut and the Connecticut Employees Union Independent (CEUI), Local 511, SEIU (NP-2 Bargaining Unit)

II. TRAINING (Article 10)

A. Tuition Reimbursement (Section 3a)
The State will allocate for tuition reimbursement each contract year the following:

Tuition reimbursement for credit courses at accredited institutions of higher education will be one hundred percent (100 %) of the cost of tuition, laboratory fees and community college service fees up to a maximum of seventy-five percent (75%) of the per credit rate for undergraduate and graduate courses at the University of Connecticut at Storrs. Tuition reimbursement for non-credit courses at accredited institutions of higher education will be one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of tuition, laboratory fees and community college service fees up to a maximum of fifty percent (50%) of the per credit rate for undergraduate and graduate courses at the University of Connecticut at Storrs.

B. Professional Development (Section 3b)
The State will allocate the following in each contract year for the purpose of providing relevant education and training to employees in conjunction with the Department of Education or comparable programs including continuing education requirements.

C. Conference Fund (Section 3c)
The Conference Fund will be $30,000 for each year of the contract.

A maximum of one thousand ($1,000) dollars will be allotted for any one attendance and no employee will attend more than two conferences, workshops or seminars per contract year. The funds will be used for fees and/or travel expenses including meals and lodging. Funds that are not expended in one fiscal year will carry over into the next fiscal year. The conference fund will expire with the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement. Requests that are submitted and approved within the final six months of the contract may be paid with any remaining available funds up to three months following expiration of the contract.

 

D. Unexpended Funds
Funds that are unexpended in one fiscal year will carry over into the next fiscal year and the balance of these funds will be available in addition to the new balances. The union will, upon request, be able to interchange funds between the Professional Development, Tuition Reimbursement, and Conference Funds.

III. NIGHT SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL (Article 18 Section 18c)

Temporary Night Shift Differential (Department of Transportation only)
A shift premium of $4.00 per hour will be paid in lieu of any other shift or weekend differential to employees who are assigned to such temporary shifts for all such hours worked or on paid leave. This premium will also be paid for any eligible overtime hours worked on such established shifts, but the premium itself will not be paid at the one and one-half rate.

IV. SAFETY (Article 19 Section 7b)

Premium pay for hazardous or unpleasant duty as specified by current regulations or Q-items will continue. Premium pay for newly designated hazardous or unpleasant duty may be established at either one and one-half (1-1/2) or one and one-quarter (1-1/4) times the applicable hourly rate, depending on the degree of such hazard or unpleasantness, in relation to current regulation or Q-item. Premium pay will be paid for all hours of such work or exposure.

V. COMPENSATION (Article 20)

A. General Wage Increases (Section 1)
General wage increases will be effective as follows:

 

There shall be no general wage increase paid to any NP-2 bargaining unit employee for the 2011-12 and the 2012-13 contract years.

 

Effective on the date (August 26, 2013) that is four pay periods after July 1, 2013, the base annual salary for all employees shall be increased by three percent (3.0%). Affected employees shall also receive a lump sum payment to be made whole for the difference in percentage between the July 2011 increase received, and the wage increase that would have been effective July 2013.

 

Effective July 1, 2014, the base annual salary for all NP-2 bargaining unit employees shall be increased by three percent (3.0%).

 

Effective July 1, 2015, the base annual salary for all NP-2 bargaining unit employees shall be increased by three percent (3.0%).

B. Annual Increments and Lump Sum Payments (Section 2)
Employees will continue to be eligible for and receive annual increments in July or January in accordance with existing practice and paid in the pay period which would include July 1 and/or January 1, based upon the employee's anniversary date except as specifically varied by the contract. There will be no annual increment made for contract years 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. Employees will continue to be eligible for and receive annual increments in accordance with existing practice for contract years 2013-2014, 2014-2015 and 2015-2016.
 

Employees at their top step will receive a lump sum payment equal to two and one half percent (2.5%) of their base annual salary. There will be no lump sum payment made for contract years 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. Employees will continue to be eligible for and receive lump sum payments in accordance with existing practice for contract years 2013-2014, 2014-2015 and 2015-2016.

C. Safety Shoe Allowance (Section 3)
On or about July 15 of each contract year an employee required to wear safety shoes will receive the specified payment for the purchase of such shoes. The safety shoe allowance is extended to eligible employees who are hired after July 15 but before February 1 of any contract year. Payment will be made on or about February 15. The safety shoe allowance is $135.

VI. LONGEVITY (Article 22)

a. No longevity payment in October 2011
Employees hired prior to July 1, 2011 shall continue to be eligible for longevity payments for the life of the contract in accordance with existing practice, except there shall be no longevity payment in October 2011.

 

b. Service toward longevity
No service shall count toward longevity for the two (2) year period beginning July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2013. Effective July 1, 2013, any service accrued during that period shall be added to the service calculation for the purpose of determining eligibility and level of longevity entitlement if it would have counted when performed.

 

c. Employees hired on or after July 1, 2011
No employee first hired on or after July 1, 2011 shall be entitled to a longevity payment; provided, however, any individual hired on or after said date who shall have military service which would count toward longevity under current rules shall be entitled to longevity if they obtain the requisite service in the future.

VII. SHIFT AND SALARY DIFFERENTIAL (Article 23)

A. Shift Differential
The shift differential is ninety ($.90) cents per hour.

 

B. Weekend Differential
The weekend differential is sixty ($.60) cents per hour.

 

C. Differential for Supervising or Training Inmates
Employees, other than those employed by the Department of Transportation, who are required to supervise or train inmates and such is not a function within their job specification, will be paid a differential of seventy ($.70) cents per hour for each hour actually worked in such assignment.

 

D. Freezer Storage
The extra compensation for employees who work in freezer storage areas is seventy ($.70) cents per hour.

 

E. Fire and Crash Standby
The extra compensation paid to DOT employees with fire and crash standby assignments at airports will be eighty ($.80) cents per hour.

VIII. SAFETY SHOES PERMANENT PART-TIME EMPLOYEES (Article 27 Section 2g)

Permanent part-time less than twenty (20) hours per week employees required to wear safety shoes will receive the amount specified in Article 20 for the purchase of such shoes at the time of hire and bi-annually thereafter on or about July 15.

IX. MEALS (Article 41)

During the life of this agreement, the rates charged to employees for meals will be as follows:

Employees whose jobs require they remain on duty on a regular basis during the lunch break will be entitled to an employer-provided meal at no cost, provided the employer has dining facilities. This applies to first, second, and third shift employees. These provisions do not apply to employees who may be eligible for meals under Article 42.

X. MEAL POLICY (Article 42 Section 2)

Meals will be provided at no cost at all agencies possessing dining facilities.

For agencies without dining facilities, the maximum meal allowances will be:

XI. HOUSING (Article 43)

The amount charged to employees occupying State-owned housing located on the grounds of State institutions will be seventy (70%) percent of the appraised fair market rental value. For other State-owned housing, the rental charge will be one hundred
(100%) percent of the appraised fair market value.

XII. SNOW AND ICE PREMIUM PAY (Article 53)

Employees designated as having a snow and ice control or removal assignment will be paid a premium of $1.70 for each hour actually worked on snow and ice control or removal, other than during the regular shift schedule. Premium pay will be authorized under the above conditions from November 1 through April 30 of each year for the life of the contract. This premium pay shall not be used in computing overtime payment.

XIII. ON-CALL/STANDBY ASSIGNMENTS (Article 55 Section 6d)

Employees of the University of Connecticut, University of Connecticut Health Center, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Department of Developmental Services who are designated by job classification and function as on-call/standby status will be compensated at the rate of $1.00 per hour for each hour so assigned. Notwithstanding the duration of any on-call/standby assignment, such compensation shall not exceed $100.00 per work week.

XIV. EMPLOYEE EXPENSES (Article 57)

A. Mileage Reimbursement (Section 1)
Mileage reimbursement is at the U.S. General Services Administration rate. The rate will be adjusted within thirty (30) days of readjustment by the General Services Administration.

 

B. Business Travel Reimbursement Rates (Section 2)
Reimbursement rates for business travel are the following:

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

XV. LICENSE FEES (Article 60 Section 6)

The employer will reimburse employees in all classifications, including but not limited to barbers, hairdressers, ferry captains and electronic technicians for the cost of a license required by the employer as a condition of employment or otherwise necessary for execution of assigned duties, except that the cost of a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) shall not be reimbursed. The employer shall not be responsible for penalties for late filing. Requests for reimbursement will be processed upon presentation of a validated license and proof of payment.

XVI. JOB SECURITY

From the July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2015, there shall be no loss of employment for NP-2 bargaining unit employees hired prior to July 1, 2011, including loss of employment due to programmatic changes, subject to the following conditions:

 

a. Protection from loss of employment is for permanent employees and does not apply to:

 

i. employees in the initial working test period;
ii. those who leave at the natural expiration of a fixed appointment term, including expiration of any employment with an end date;
iii. expiration of a temporary, durational or special appointment;
iv. non-renewal of a non-tenured employee (except in units where non-tenured have permanent status prior to achieving tenure);
v. termination of grant or other outside funding specified for a particular position;
vi. part-time employees who are not eligible for health insurance benefits.

 

b. This protection from loss of employment does not prevent the State from restructuring and/or eliminating positions provided those affected bump or transfer to another comparable job in accordance with the terms of the attached implementation agreement. An employee who is laid off under the rules of the implementation provisions below because of the refusal of an offered position will not be considered a layoff for purposes of this Agreement.

 

c. The State is not precluded from noticing layoff in order to accomplish any of the above, or for layoffs outside the July 1, 2011-June 30, 2015 time period. The Office of Policy and Management and the Office of Labor Relations commit to continuing the effectiveness of the placement and training process during and beyond the biennium to facilitate the carrying out of its purposes. The State shall continue to utilize the funds previously established for carrying out the State's commitments under this Agreement and to facilitate the placement and training process.

XVII. SCHEDULED PAYMENT DATES

A. General Wage Increase
The general wage increase will be made centrally at the proper time.

Lump Sum Payments for Employees to be Made Whole

 

Pay Periods Covered	Amount	Check Date
07/01/2013-08/25/2013	5%	09/20/2013

 

B. Annual Increments and Lump Sum Payments for Maximum Step Employees
Annual Increments will be entered centrally at the proper time as follows:

The agency must process these lump sum payments manually and follow the effective dates and pay periods of annual increments.

 

C. Safety Shoe Allowance

D. Safety Shoe Allowance for Employees Hired After July 15

XVIII. PAYROLL PROCEDURES

A. Split Pay Period for General Wage Increase
General wage increase effective August 26, 2013. The effective pay period is August 23, 2013 through September 5, 2013. Wages earned for August 23, 2013 should be paid at the old rate. The wages earned for the period August 26, 2013 through September 5, 2013 should be paid at the new rate.

 

General wage increase effective July 1, 2014. The effective pay period is June 27, 2014 through July 10, 2014. Wages earned for the period June 27, 2014 through June 30, 2014 should be paid at the old rate. The wages earned for the period July 1, 2014 through July 10, 2014 should be paid at the new rate.

 

General wage increase effective July 1, 2015. The effective pay period is June 26, 2015 through July 9, 2015. Wages earned for the period June 26, 2015 through June 30, 2015 should be paid at the old rate. The wages earned for the period July 1, 2015 through July 9, 2015 should be paid at the new rate.

 

B. Implementation of General Wage Increase
New pay plans will be implemented centrally with the new hourly rate and biweekly salary effective with the pay period, at the proper time.

 

C. Payment of Lump Sum(s)
On the Timesheet Page: Amount; Time Reporting Code XMISP
On the Additional Pay Page: Amount; Earnings Code MPS

 

These lump sum payments are subject to mandatory deductions; i.e., federal withholding and state income tax annualized, social security tax, retirement contributions, and garnishments (if applicable).

 

D. Shoe Allowance
On the Timesheet Page: Amount; Time Reporting Code XSHUA
On the Additional Pay Page: Amount; Earnings Code SHU

 

E. Shift Differential
On the Timesheet Page: Hours, Shift 1; Amount 50180 or Hours Shift 2 (Time and a half); Account 50180 or Amount; Shift 3; Account 50180

On the Additional Pay Page: Hours or Amount; Earnings Code SD1 (Shift 1); Account 50180 or Hours or Amount; Earnings Code SD2 (Shift 2); Account 50180 or Amount; Earnings Code SD3 (Shift 3); Account 50180

 

F. Temporary Night Shift Differential
On the Timesheet Page: Units; Time Reporting Code XSHNF
On the Additional Pay Page: Units; Earnings Code F41

G. Differential for Supervising Inmates
On the Timesheet Page: Units; Time Reporting Code XINM1
On the Additional Pay Page: Units; Earnings Code DI1

 

H. Freezer Storage
On the Timesheet Page: Units; Time Reporting Code XFRZ1
On the Additional Pay Page: Units; Earnings Code DF1

 

I. Fire and Crash Standby
On the Timesheet Page: Units; Time Reporting Code XOCAH
On the Additional Pay Page: Units; Earnings Code OCF

 

J. Snow and Ice Premium Pay
On the Timesheet Page: Units; Time Reporting Code XHDKH
On the Additional Pay Page: Units; Earnings Code SIU

 

K. On-Call/Standby
On the Timesheet Page: Units; Time Reporting Code XOCBH
On the Additional Pay Page: Units; Earnings Code OC1

 

L. License Fees
On the Timesheet Page: Amount; Time Reporting Code XNRRA
On the Additional Pay Page: Amount; Earnings Code NRR

XIX. GENERAL

Questions may be directed as follows:

 

Contract Issues: Agency Human Resources Officers;

 

Memorandum Interpretation: Office of the State Comptroller,
Budget and Financial Analysis Division,
(860) 702-3440;

 

Payroll Procedures: Office of the State Comptroller, Payroll Services Division,
(860) 702-3447;

 

Tuition Reimbursement: Office of the State Comptroller, Management Services Division
(860) 702-3334.
 

KEVIN LEMBO
STATE COMPTROLLER

KL:CH

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