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

MEMORANDUM NO. 2002-12

March 15, 2002

TO THE HEADS OF ALL STATE AGENCIES

I. AUTHORITY

The arbitration award between the State of Connecticut and the Connecticut State Employees Association concerning the Engineering, Scientific and Technical (P-4) bargaining unit for the period July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2005 took effect on March 8, 2002 by operation of CGS Section 5-278.

Pursuant to section 5-276b of the Connecticut General Statutes, an interest penalty of 5% per annum is to be paid for late implementation of the provisions of the P-4 Interest Arbitration issued August 7, 2001. The 5% is payable for the period August 7, 2001 until the date an employee receives all the retroactive amounts due him/her under the award.

II. TRAINING AND TUITION (Article 10)

A. The State will allocate for training each contract year the following:

The unspent funds will carry over from one contract year to the succeeding contract year(s). The fund will automatically expire on June 30, 2005.

Each eligible employee will be entitled to a maximum of $500 per year from this fund 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 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 carryover credit).

Agricultural Experiment Station employees eligible for expense reimbursement under Addendum Article 10 are not eligible to participate in the Workshop Conference Fund.

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

There will be unlimited carryover of unused moneys in the fund from one contract year to the next.

The maximum reimbursement rate will be 75% of the per credit rate for undergraduate and graduate courses at the University of Connecticut at Storrs.

No employee is eligible for reimbursement for more than twelve (12) credits in each year of the contract.

III. HOURS OF WORK (Article 16)

Article 16 contains several payroll provisions. Please refer to the P-4 contract for eligibility requirements and specific details.

A. Shift Differential (Article 16.2)

A shift differential of sixty-five ($.65) cents per hour will be paid to all employees whose regularly assigned shift or tour of duty begins after 2:00 p.m. or before 6:00 a.m., except that any employee whose salary is above the equivalent of Salary Group 23, Step 7, will not be eligible for such differential. Notwithstanding this provision, employees in the classifications of Computer Operations Supervisor 1 and 2 will be eligible for shift differential payment.

B. Weekend Differential (Article 16.3)

The weekend differential will be forty ($.40) cents per hour.

C. Standby (Article 16.5)

Pay for on standby or on call status will be $16, $24, or $54. See contract for specific details.

IV. COMPENSATION (Article 19)

A. General Wage Increases (Article 19.1)

General wage increases will be effective as follows:

B. Annual Increments (Article 19.2)

Employees will continue to be eligible for and receive annual increments in July or January during the term of this contract in accordance with existing practice.

C. Longevity (Article 19.3)

Employees will continue to be eligible for longevity payments for the life of this contract in accordance with existing practice.

D. Lump Sum Payment for Maximum Step Employees (Article 19.4)

Employees at the maximum step of the salary schedule as of the annual increment effective dates will receive a 2.5 percent lump sum payment when the annual increment would have applied. Due to the additional step added to the pay plan in fiscal years 2003 and 2005, there will be no lump sum payment at maximum made in those years.

E. Additional Steps (Article 19.5) (New)

Effective July 1, 2002, an additional step will be added to all P-4 pay plans. The additional step will be two and one-half percent (2.5%) above the preceding step. Effective July 1, 2004, an additional step will be added to all P-4 pay plans. The additional step will be two and one-half percent (2.5%) above the preceding step.

V. TRAVEL (Article 21)

Employees required to travel on official State business will be reimbursed for lodging, mileage and/or meals in accordance with Standard State Travel Regulations. Construction personnel in the Department of Transportation (DOT) or Department of Public Works (DPW) who are presently assigned State vehicles may continue to use said vehicles or may shift to the use of his/her personal vehicle, at which time he/she will be entitled to all the benefits accruing to other employees who are using their personal vehicles.

Employees utilizing personally-owned vehicles on state business will be paid the new rate of $4.50 per day vehicle use fee. This fee will be in addition to mileage reimbursement. (See contract for stipulations.)

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

Mileage reimbursement will be 34.5 cents per mile subject to readjustment with U.S. GSA rate. Mileage reimbursement will increase to 36.5 cents effective February 20, 2002.

VI. HEALTH AND SAFETY (Article 27)

A joint Union/Management Safety Committee will be established to investigate, discuss and develop corrective measures on specific safety and health matters. Committee proposals shall detail the problem, resolution, the benefit of implementation and costs.

There will be established an annual fund of $15,000 for committee proposed safety health programs. There will be unlimited carryover of unused funds from one contract year to the succeeding contract year(s). The fund will automatically expire upon expiration of the contract.

VII. SAFETY SHOE ALLOWANCE (Article 35)

The annual safety shoe allowance of $70 will continue to be payable on or about October 1 of each contract year. Employees hired on or after October 1, but before April 1 of any contract year will also receive this allowance on or about April 1. Employees hired on or after April 1 will not be eligible for this allowance in that contract year.

VIII. CERTIFICATION AND LICENSING (Article 40)

An employee whose job specification requires a professional license or certificate as a condition of employment will be reimbursed for the cost of same.

IX. ANNUAL SKILL PREMIUM FOR EMTS (Article 41.2)

Each employee who is certified as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) shall be paid $400, payable on or about December 1 of each contract year.

X. EMPLOYEE MEAL CHARGES (Article 55)

Rates charged to employees for meals at State agencies with employee dining facilities will be as follows:

XI. RETROACTIVE PAYMENTS

For the period July 1, 2001 through March 21, 2002, agency staff must calculate and process the following retroactive payments manually. Checks dated April 19, 2002 should reflect updated additional compensation; e.g., shift differentials, overtime, etc., for the particular bi-weekly pay periods.

Payments will be separately identified and subject to mandatory deductions only; i.e., federal withholding tax and state income tax annualized, social security tax, retirement contributions, and garnishments (if applicable).

A. Retroactive Annual Increments and Maximum Step Lump Sums

B. Retroactive General Wage Increase (GWI)

XII. SCHEDULED PAYMENT DATES

A. General Wage Increase

B. Annual Increments

Annual Increments will be entered centrally for agencies on the General Wage Increase (APS) interface at the proper time as follows:

*no lump sum at maximum

All Other Agencies

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

C. Lump Sum Payments for Maximum Step Employees

The agency must process these lump sum payments manually and follow the effective dates and pay periods of annual increments. Refer to Sections IV.D and XII.B for check dates.

D. Additional Steps

E. Safety Shoe Allowance

*Agencies should have made these shoe allowance payments in the paychecks dated October 5, 2001 and April 5, 2002. If an agency has not paid these shoe allowances, the payment should be included in the paycheck dated April 19, 2002.

F. EMT Skill Premium

XIII. CALCULATION OF INTEREST PENALTY

An interest penalty of 5% is payable for the period August 7, 2001 until the date the eligible employee receives all the retroactive amounts due him/her under the arbitration award.

It is possible that one or more wage increases were due before the award was issued and another wage increase was due after the award was issued. Therefore, the amounts due will have to be split out and the number of days for which interest should be paid will need to be calculated individually.

Retroactive Payments from July 1, 2001 through March 21, 2002

255 days/360 days multiplied by 5% multiplied by the lump sum payment.

Example: If the lump sum amount was $300:

 

255 days/360 days x .05 x $300 = $10.63

Multiply the lump sum amount paid by the number of days between August 7, 2001 and the date of the payment, April 19, 2002 (which is 255 days) divided by 360; then the product multiplied by 5%.

Retroactive Payments from January 1, 2002 through March 21, 2002

108 days/360 days multiplied by 5% multiplied by the lump sum payment.

Example: If the lump sum amount was $100:

 

108 days/360 days x .05 x $100 = $1.50

Multiply the lump sum amount paid by the number of days between January 1, 2002 and the date of the payment, April 19, 2002 (which is 108 days) divided by 360, then the product multiplied by 5%.

Agencies should refer to Office of Labor Relations General Notice No. 96-23 - Payment of Interest Payments for Interest Arbitration Awards dated May 10, 1996.

XIV. PAYROLL PROCEDURES

Agency staff must ensure that the employee's masterfile data (Pay Plan, Salary Group and Step, Hourly Rate and Bi-weekly Salary) are correctly coded.

A. Payment of Retroactive Salary Increases and Retroactive Annual Increments and Retroactive Lump Sums

 

1. On-Line: Screen 047 or 190; R1; Amount; D/OE 10.

 

2. Remote Job Entry: ZT Transaction; Same as above.

 

B. Implementation of General Wage Increase - Agencies with Automated Personnel System (APS) Interface

 

New pay plans will be implemented centrally with the new hourly rate and bi-weekly salary effective with the pay period, March 22, 2002 through April 4, 2002 (check date April 19, 2002) at the proper time.

 

C. Implementation of General Wage Increase - All Other Agencies Entering New Salary Amounts on Bi-Weekly Payroll

 

1. On-Line: Screen 160; Change Rate and Salary.

 

2. Remote Job Entry: ZT Transaction; Same as above.

 

D. Payment of Lump Sum(s)

 

1. On-Line: Screen 047 or 190; R1; Amount; D/OE 18.

 

2. Remote Job Entry: ZT Transaction; Same as above.

 

E. Interest Arbitration Award

 

1. On-Line: Screen 047 or 190; R-3; Amount; D/OE Code 1U.

 

2. Remote Job Entry: ZT Transaction; Same as above.

 

Agencies should use Major/Minor 01-920, Interest Penalty - Payroll Awards as the expenditure object code.

 

Interest paid on a wage award is not considered wages (IRS Revenue Ruling 72-268). Therefore, the subject interest penalty would not be subject to withholding for income taxes, employment taxes, and retirement contributions.

 

F. Split Pay Periods for General Wage Increases

 

General Wage Increase effective July 1, 2003. The effective pay period is June 27, 2003 through July 10, 2003. Wages earned for the period June 27, 2003 through June 30, 2003 should be paid at the old rate. The wages earned for the period July 1, 2003 through July 10, 2003 should be paid at the new rate, effective July 1, 2003.

 

General Wage Increase effective July 1, 2004. The effective pay period is June 25, 2004 through July 8, 2004. Wages earned for the period June 25, 2004 through June 30, 2004 should be paid at the old rate. The wages earned for the period July 1, 2004 through July 8, 2004 should be paid at the new rate, effective July 1, 2004.

 

G. Shift Differential

 

1. On-Line: Screen 047 or 190; R1; Amount (shift differential rate); Hours; D/OE 11; Major/Minor 108.

 

2. Remote Job Entry: ZT Transaction; Same as above.

 

H. Standby

 

1. On-Line: Screen 047 or 190; R1; Amount; D/OE 22.

 

2. Remote Job Entry: ZT Transaction; Same as above.

 

I. Vehicle Usage

 

1. On-Line: Screen 047 or 190; R1; Amount; D/OE 1L; Major/Minor is 01-230.

 

2. Remote Job Entry: ZT Transaction; Same as above.

 

J. Shoe Allowance

 

1. On-Line: Screen 047 or 190; R1; Amount; D/OE Code 1E.

 

2. Remote Job Entry: ZT Transaction; Same as above.

 

K. EMT Payment

 

1. On-Line: Screen 047 or 190; R1; Amount; D/OE 24.

 

2. Remote Job Entry: ZT Transaction; Same as above.

XV. TRAVEL AND TUITION REIMBURSEMENT

A. Retroactive Travel Reimbursements

Travel reimbursements to employees must be submitted on a CO-17XP-A form. This Addendum form must be completed when claiming retroactive meal or travel allowances and must be used in conjunction with the CO-17XP-PR employee Voucher. Attach a copy of the Travel Authorization, original CO-17XP-PR, and original CO-17XP-A, as the retroactive claim may affect the reportable amount. Write RETRO on the top of the CO-17XP-PR.

For current travel reimbursements, agencies must complete Form CO-17XP-PR and send it to the Comptroller's Business Office. The processing of the 9916 travel reimbursement is contingent upon the availability of funds.

B. Tuition Reimbursement - 9916 Fund

Applications for tuition reimbursement for summer 2001 and fall 2001 should have been forwarded to the Comptroller's Management Services Division - Support Services Unit. If not sent, please submit on a new and separate Expenditure Batch List.

Please note: Reimbursements cannot be made until the release of funding by the Office of Policy and Management.

XVI. GENERAL

The Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Personnel Division will be distributing revised salary schedules.

Questions may be directed as follows:

NANCY WYMAN
STATE COMPTROLLER

NW:CH

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