INTERDEPARTMENTAL MEMORANDUM

June 15, 2018

I. AUTHORITY
Vocational Federation of Teachers, Local 4200A, American Federation of Teachers Bargaining Unit Employees Collective Bargaining Agreement September 1, 2016 through August 31, 2021.

II. SALARIES (ARTICLE 3)

A. Salaries for Full-Time Employees (Section 1)

1. General Wage Increases
There shall be no general wage increase for contract years 2016-2017 and 2017-2018. For those years, the Salary Schedule of Appendix A in effect on June 30, 2016 will remain in effect.

Effective at the start of the pay period that includes September 1, 2018, all rates on the Salary Schedule for full-time teachers (Appendix A) will be consistent with those in effect June 30, 2016.

In the pay period that includes July 1, 2018, a one-time payment of two thousand ($2,000) will be made to all employees covered by this agreement who are not scheduled to receive the Payment for Teachers at Maximum in accordance with Article 3 Section nine of this agreement.

For those employees covered by this agreement scheduled to receive the Payment for Teachers at Maximum in accordance with Article 3, Section Nine of this agreement, a one thousand ($1,000) payment, in addition to the scheduled Payment for Teachers at Maximum, will be made in the pay period that includes July 1.

Effective at the start of the pay period that includes September 1, 2019, all rates on the Salary Schedule for full-time teachers (Appendix A) will be increased by three and one-half percent (3.5%).

Effective at the start of the pay period that includes September 1, 2020, all rates on the Salary Schedule for full-time teachers (Appendix A) will be increased by three and one-half percent (3.5%).

2. Compensation For Degrees
There will be no degree stipend paid for the 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019 school years. For the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 contract years, there shall be funds equivalent to one percent (1%) of the base salary account for full-time teachers as of September 1, each year, to be used for the purpose of funding the Degree Scale payments (Appendix G). Each qualifying full-time employee shall receive his/her supplemental payment in the last paycheck in December, in each year.

B. Method of Salary Payment (Section 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 (Section 3)
The Department will provide payment for extracurricular duties, to be paid as follows:

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 (Section 8)
Mileage reimbursement will be in accordance with standard State travel policy. The rate of reimbursement will be at the 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 (Section 9)

1. Annual Increments
A full-time employee or regularly scheduled part-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 the first three years of this agreement (2016-2019), there will be no annual increments. In the final two years (2019-2021) of the agreement, teachers will advance one step on the salary schedule, in accordance with previously established standards and procedures. New employees or employees returning from leave of absence without pay must work not fewer than one-half of the days in the school year in order to be eligible for the annual increment in the following school year.

 

2. Payments for Teachers at Maximum - Lump Sum (Section 9)
There will be no lump sum bonuses for the first two years of this agreement (2016-2018).

For the 2018-2019 contract year payable the first pay period in January 2019, a $1,500 lump sum payment will be made to teachers who are at the maximum step of the salary schedule.

 

For the 2019-2020 contract year payable the first pay period in January 2020, a $1,500 lump sum payment will be made to teachers who are at the maximum step of the salary schedule.

 

For the 2020-2021 contract year, payable the first pay period in January 2021, $1,500 lump sum payment will be made to teachers who are at the maximum step of the salary schedule.

F. Longevity (Section 10)
For employees not excluded from eligibility for longevity by subsection a of the Agreement, the following will apply: The schedule for longevity payments will be as set forth in Appendix C. Longevity will be payable semi-annually in October and April, with the exception that the April 2018 payment will be paid in July, 2018.

III. PERSONAL DAYS (ARTICLE 4 Section 3)
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 or 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 full personal days 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.

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.

Not 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 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:

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 employed for 32 or more hours per week
b. Regularly scheduled part-time employees paid on an hourly basis and employed in the regular day program for 32 or more hours per
week.

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 or the equivalent of tuition (such as Connecticut State University �part-time fees� and �tuition/required fees�) and does not include other 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 (as provided above) 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).

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.

IV. STIPENDS AND HOURLY RATES

A. Production Job (Article 6 Section 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:

For the 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019 school years, stipends identified in Appendix B will remain the same as those listed for the 2015-2016 school year.

For the 2019-2020 school year, all stipends identified in Appendix B will increase 2.5%, except for the stipend for Athletic Coordinator. *The stipend for Athletic Coordinator will increase approximately 15%.

For the 2020-2021 school year, all stipends identified in Appendix B will increase 3.5%.

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:

D. Daily Substitute Rate (Appendix F)
Effective for the 2015-2016 school year through the 2020-2021 school year, the daily substitute rate for all substitutes will be $155.

V. TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT AS DEPARTMENT HEAD (ARTICLE 19 Section 3)
An employee temporarily assigned in writing by the Principal or his or her designee to serve as Department Head will, commencing with the fifteenth consecutive workday, retroactive to the first workday, be paid at the Department Head rate.

VI. SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT COVERING SUBSTITUES, PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, DURATIONAL EMPLOYEES COACHES AND ADVISORS
The following categories of employees are covered by this supplemental Agreement:

Daily substitutes, part-time employees paid on an hourly basis, who are employed in summer school, evening school, shared time and other special programs, regularly scheduled part-time employees paid on an hourly basis and employed in the regular day program, durational employees, and employees paid a stipend for work as a coach or advisor.

A. Salaries (Article 3 Section 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 D.
Stipends for athletic coordinators, coaches, and advisors are set forth in Appendix B.

B. Payment for Extracurricular Duties Coaches and Advisors (Article 3 Section 2)

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 (Supplemental Agreement 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.

VII. FURLOUGH DAYS (Appendix I)
There will be three (3) mandatory furloughs for all members of the bargaining unit that must be taken in FY18 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018). It is understood and agreed that the days off will be taken by June 21, 2018. Part-time employees will also serve furlough days on a part-time basis based upon their biweekly scheduled hours of work. The value of the furlough day will be one-tenth (1/10) of the biweekly pay for a bargaining unit member on a twenty-six (26) pay period schedule and defined on a comparable prorated basis for part-time employees. The above value will be deducted in the pay period in which the furlough day is taken except as otherwise provided herein. See Contract for details.

Instructors other than those in the Aviation program and those in the Aviation program in exchange for the pay reductions will take three (3) days off (equivalent hours from the dates listed below without additional loss of compensation:

VIII. SCHEDULED PAYMENT DATES

A. General Wage Increase

B. One Time Payment

C. Annual Increments

D. Lump Sum Payment

E. Degree Stipends

IX. 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
On the Weekly Elapsed Time Page: Amount; Time Reporting Code XMISP.
On the Additional Pay Page: Amount; Earnings Code MPS.

X. GENERAL

You may direct requests for assistance as follows:

 

Payroll Procedures: Office of the State Comptroller
Active and Pension Payroll Services Division, 860-702-3447;

 

Contract Issues: Agency Personnel Officers;

 

Memorandum Interpretation: Office of the State Comptroller
Administrative Services, 860-702-3440.

 

Tuition Reimbursement: Office of the State Comptroller, Administrative Services 860-702-3334.

KEVIN LEMBO
STATE COMPTROLLER

KL:ED
cc: Karen Zuboff, SDE

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