State of Connecticut Office of the State Comptroller INTERDEPARTMENTAL MEMORANDUM dated January 29, 2018
Letterhead - OSC

INTERDEPARTMENTAL MEMORANDUM

January 29, 2018

To:   The Honorable Dora Schriro, Commissioner
   Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection
   1111 Country Club Road
   Middletown, Connecticut 06457
Subject: Connecticut State Employees Association (NP-9) Contract July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2021

I. AUTHORITY
Collective bargaining agreement between the Connecticut State Employees Association and the State of Connecticut effective July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2021.

II. COMPENSATORY TIME (Article 15)
All bargaining unit members will be deemed to be exempt from overtime payments. The Commissioner of The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection may grant compensatory time for extra time worked at the rate of time and one-half. See contract for details.

III. COMPENSATION (Article 17)

A. General Wage Increase (Section 1)
Effective first day of pay period following July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2019 (Same pay rates as those effective July 1, 2015):

Step    Class    Years in Grade    Total Annual
1    Lieutenant    0-3 as Lieutenant    $120,518
2    Lieutenant    3-5 as Lieutenant    $124,762
3    Lieutenant    5+ as Lieutenant    $129,005
1    Captain    0-3 as Captain    $135,795
2    Captain    3-5 as Captain    $140,039
3    Captain    5+ as Captain    $144,282

Effective with the first pay period after July 1, 2019, each salary level in each covered classification, namely Lieutenant and Captain will receive a 3.5% increase.

Step    Class    Years in Grade    Total Annual
1    Lieutenant    0-3 as Lieutenant    $124,736
2    Lieutenant    3-5 as Lieutenant    $129,129
3    Lieutenant    5+ as Lieutenant    $133,520
1    Captain    0-3 as Captain    $140,548
2    Captain    3-5 as Captain    $144,940
3    Captain    5+ as Captain    $149,332

Effective with the first pay period after July 1, 2020, each salary level in each covered classification, namely Lieutenant and Captain will receive a 3.5% increase.

Step    Class    Years in Grade    Total Annual
1    Lieutenant    0-3 as Lieutenant    $129,102
2    Lieutenant    3-5 as Lieutenant    $133,649
3    Lieutenant    5+ as Lieutenant    $138,193
1    Captain    0-3 as Captain    $145,467
2    Captain    3-5 as Captain    $150,013
3    Captain    5+ as Captain    $154,559

B. Lump Sum Payments (Section 2)
Effective in July 2016, each bargaining unit employee at every salary level in each classification, namely Lieutenant and Captain, will receive a 2% lump sum payment calculated on the salary levels for the July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017 contract year.

Effective in July 2017, each bargaining unit employee at every salary level in each classification, namely Lieutenant and Captain, will receive a 2% lump sum payment calculated on the salary levels for the July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018 contract year.

Effective in July 2018, each bargaining unit employee at every salary level in each classification, namely Lieutenant and Captain, will receive a 2% lump sum payment calculated on the salary levels for the July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019 contract year.

Effective in July 2019, each bargaining unit employee at every salary level in each classification, namely Lieutenant and Captain, will receive a 2% lump sum payment calculated on the salary levels for the July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020 contract year.

Effective in July 2020, each bargaining unit employee at every salary level in each classification, namely Lieutenant and Captain, will receive a 2% lump sum payment calculated on the salary levels for the July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021 contract year.

C. Movement Through Classification Salary Levels (Section 3)
In each of the first three contract years of this contract, namely 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019, no employee will move to a higher salary level within his or her classification. However, each bargaining unit employee in each classification will continue to accrue years in rank.

Commencing July 1, 2019 each bargaining unit employee in each classification will advance to the salary level in each classification that corresponds to each employee'
s year in rank as of July 1, 2019. In addition, during the contract year July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020, each employee in each classification whose years in rank qualifies that officer for advancement to a higher salary level will move to that salary level effective the first full pay period following the date of their appointment to the applicable rank in accordance with the 0-3, 3+, and 5+ salary levels.

In contract year July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021, each bargaining unit employee in each classification whose years in rank qualifies that officer for advancement to a higher salary level will move to that salary level effective the first full pay period following the date of their appointment to the applicable rank in accordance with the 0-3, 3+, and 5+ salary levels.

D. $2,000 Payments to Officers in 2018-2019 (Section 4)
In July of 2018, each bargaining unit employee in the classifications of Lieutenant and Captain will receive a $2,000 lump sum payment.

E. Furlough Days 2017-2018 Contract Year (Section 5)
In the 2017-2018 contract year in lieu of furlough days pursuant to the SEBAC Agreement effective July 1, 2017, and for each month during the 2017-2018 contract year, bargaining unit members will have a reduction of one-quarter of a day sick leave for a total of three (3) sick days during the year.

IV. PREGNANCY, MATERNAL AND PARENTAL LEAVE (Article 27 Section 3)
Sick leave may now be used to care for an immediate family member in circumstances which would meet the requirement for qualified family care under the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The new state coverage also allows for intermittent leave.

In addition, employees have the ability to take unpaid maternity, paternity, or other childrearing leave for up to four (4) months beyond the expiration of any leave otherwise due under this section or under FMLA. As is current practice, employees may extend personal medical leave for up to twenty-four (24) weeks after all other leaves have expired and with appropriate medical certification.

Permanent part-time employees who do not meet the hours threshold of state and federal law will continue to be eligible for unpaid family leave as per current practice. FMLA qualified sick leave will be calculated separately from the nonqualified sick leave available under the contract.

V. VACATION LEAVE SCHEDULE (Article 30)
Employees promoted into the bargaining unit after January 1, 2012 may accrue up to seventy (70) days of vacation leave for the purpose of using vacation leave. However, such an allowance will not create any obligation to pay out more than sixty (60) days when the employee separates from state service. Accordingly, the maximum accumulation for payout will remain at sixty (60) days.

VI. SICK LEAVE, PERSONAL LEAVE OR OTHER PAID OR UNPAID LEAVES OF ABSENCE (Article 31)
For the contract year 2017-2018, in lieu of furlough days, bargaining unit members will accrue one-quarter less sick days each month for a total reduction during the year of three (3) sick days. If an employee terminates employment before June 30, 2018 without having provided the full benefit of the reduction, and appropriate adjustment will be made to his accrual and/or final paycheck.

VII. LONGEVITY (Article 33)
Longevity payments will be paid semi-annually in April and October of each contract year with the sole exception that the April 2018 longevity payment will be delayed and paid instead in July 2018. No employee hired after July 1, 2011 shall be eligible for a longevity payment in this bargaining unit. See contract for details.

VIII. HOLIDAYS (Article 36)
Holidays are as follows:

New Year's Day    Good Friday    Columbus Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day    Memorial Day    Veteran's Day
Lincoln's Birthday    Independence Day    Thanksgiving Day
Washington's Birthday    Labor Day    Christmas Day

Premium holidays are New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

When an employee is scheduled to work on a premium holiday or is called into work on a premium holiday, the employee will receive compensatory time at the rate of one and one-half for the hours worked on the holiday in addition to holiday pay for the day. Unused compensatory time accrued in this manner will not be payable to the officer upon retirement.

All other holidays are considered non-premium holidays. When an employee is scheduled to work on a non-premium holiday or is called into work on a non-premium holiday, he or she shall receive compensatory time. Unused compensatory time accrued in this manner shall not be payable to the officer upon separation from employment.

IX. RETROACTIVE LUMP SUM PAYMENTS

A. ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES
Employees who were actively employed on July 1, 2016 through January 18, 2018. The retroactive lump sum will be included in the February 16, 2018 check date.

Employees who were actively employed on July 1, 2016, but were promoted into another collective bargaining unit or management, should contact their agency personnel officer to initiate any compensation due or there may be an over payment issue.

Employees who were actively employed on July 1, 2016 but have since retired or separated from State service.

B. RETROACTIVE PAYMENTS FOR PROMOTED, RETIRED, AND SEPARATED EMPLOYEES
Agencies are to calculate retroactive payments to the date of retirement or separation from state service.

For the pay periods 07/01/2016 through date of promotion or separation, agency staff must calculate and process the following retroactive payments manually. Checks should reflect the additional compensation due as a result of the manual calculation of the retroactive difference due on the biweekly and overtime payments made to impacted former bargaining unit employees during the aforementioned dates and lump sums as applicable.

Payments should be identified separately and coded with the applicable code. Such are subject to mandatory deductions: federal withholding tax and state income tax annualized social security tax, retirement contributions and garnishments (if applicable).

The additional retroactive compensation must be reported to the Retirement and Benefits Services Division in the manner described below as such additional payments may have an impact for retirement benefit purposes.

Each agency must provide the Retirement and Benefit Services Division's Audit Unit with a list of affected retirees accompanied by the worksheet detailing the calculations utilized for these adjustment payments. Worksheets for separated employees must also be provided with a clear notation on each worksheet indicating such status.

Effective Date    Period Covered    Check Date
July 8, 2016    06/24/2016 - date of separation    07/22/2016
July 7, 2017    06/23/2017 - date of separation    07/21/2017

X. SCHEDULED PAYMENT DATES

A. General Wage Increase

Effective    Increases    Pay Period    Check Date
07/01/2016    0%    No General Wage Increase    No General Wage Increase
07/01/2017    0%    No General Wage Increase    No General Wage Increase
07/01/2018    0%    No General Wage Increase    No General Wage Increase
07/01/2019    3.5%    06/21/2019 - 07/04/2019    07/19/2019
07/01/2020    3.5%    06/19/2020 - 07/02/2020    07/17/2020

B. Lump Sum Payments
The agency must process these lump sum payments manually and follow the effective dates and pay periods of annual increments. Lump sum payments will be entered centrally at the proper time as follows:

Effective    Pay Period    Check Date
July 2016    07/08/2016 - 07/21/2016    08/05/2016
July 2017    07/07/2017 - 07/20/2017    08/04/2017
July 2018    07/06/2018 - 07/19/2018    08/03/2018
July 2019    07/05/2019 - 07/18/2019    08/02/2019
July 2020    07/03/2020 - 07/16/2020    07/31/2020

C. One Time Payment

Effective    Pay Period    Check Date
07/01/2018    06/22/2018 - 07/05/2018    07/20/2018

XI. PAYROLL PROCEDURES

Implementation of General Wage Increases
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.
Payment of Lump Sum(s)
On the Timesheet Page: Amount; Time Reporting Code XMISA
On the Additional Pay Page: Amount; Earnings Code MIS

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).

Retroactive Lump Sum Increase
On the Timesheet Page: Amount, Time Reporting code XTRA � if needed, use Comments for detail of payments.

XII. GENERAL
Questions may be directed as follows:

Contract Interpretation:   Agency Human Resources Officers;
Memorandum Interpretation:   Office of the State Comptroller, Administrative Services, 860-702-3440;
Payroll Procedures:   Office of the State Comptroller, Active and Pension Payroll Services Division, 860-702-3447;
Direct List of Affected Retirees and Separated Employees to:   Office of the State Comptroller
Retirement Services Division,
Audit Unit,
55 Elm Street,
Hartford, CT 06106


KEVIN LEMBO
STATE COMPTROLLER

KL:ED

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