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. 2012-09

May 2, 2012

TO THE HEADS OF ALL STATE AGENCIES

I. AUTHORITY

The memorandum of understanding between the State of Connecticut and the Connecticut State Employees Association concerning the Engineering, Scientific and Technical (P-4) bargaining unit which extends the collective bargaining agreement through June 30, 2016.

II. TRAINING AND TUITION REIMBURSEMENT (Article 10)

The Professional Conference and Workshop fund may reimburse employees for on-line professional seminars, workshops or conferences as long as the requests by employees are substantially similar to requests that have been approved by the Professional Conference and Workshop Committee on an attendance basis for such professional seminars, workshops or conferences. The unspent funds will carry over from one contract year to the succeeding contract year(s). The fund will automatically expire on June 30, 2016.

 

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

Each eligible employee will be entitled to a maximum of $600 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 $600, but not greater than $1,200 or the employee may use the fund for a one-time usage of $1800 during the contract term. Use of the fund for expenditures less than $600 will not entitle the employee to use the fund for an additional expenditure in excess of $600 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. Tuition Reimbursement (Section 3)

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

Courses from accredited institutions of higher learning will be eligible for this reimbursement inclusive of long distance learning courses. There will be unlimited carryover of unused moneys in the fund from one contract year to the next. Funds will automatically expire upon expiration of the contract. The maximum reimbursement rate will be 75% of the per credit rate for undergraduate and graduate courses at the University of Connecticut at Storrs inclusive of fees. 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 (Section 2)
A shift differential of eighty-five cents ($.85) 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 pay grade designated as exempt from overtime (Article 17 Section Three), 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 (Section 3)
The weekend differential will remain at seventy-five cents ($.75) per hour.

 

C. Standby (Section 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 (Section 1)

General wage increases will be effective as follows:

There shall be no general wage increase paid to any P-4 employee for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 contract years.

 

Effective on the date (August 26, 2013) that is four periods after July 1, 2013, the annual base salary for all employees shall be increased by (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 P-4 bargaining unit employees shall be increased by three percent (3.0%).

 

Effective July 1, 2015, the base annual salary for all P-4 bargaining unit employees shall be increased by three percent (3.0%).

B. Annual Increments (Section 2)

Notwithstanding the prior provision, there will be no lump sum payment (under Section Four) or annual increment made for contract years 2011- 2012 and 2012-2013.

 

Employees will continue to be eligible for and receive annual increments during the term of this contract in accordance with existing practice for contract years 2013-2014, 2014-2015 and 2015-2016; except as specifically varied by the contract.

 

The lump sum payment shall be paid on the paycheck dates when increments are paid in accordance with the above schedule. An overall service rating of unsatisfactory (as defined in Article 9 and referenced in Article 19, Section 4 of the P-4 contract) may be grounds for denial of this payment.

C. Longevity (Section 3)
Employees will continue to be eligible for longevity payments for the life of this contract in accordance with existing practice, except as specifically varied by the contract.

 

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. The longevity schedule in effect on June 30, 1984 shall remain unchanged in dollar amounts for the life of this agreement.

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.

D. Lump Sum Payment for Maximum Step Employees (Section 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. There will be no lump sum payments made for the contract years 2011-2012 and 2012-2013.

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 $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:

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

 

The mileage reimbursement rate will be the GSA rate subject to readjustment within thirty days, consistent with readjustment by the GSA.

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 $110 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 it.

IX. ANNUAL SKILL PREMIUM FOR EMTS (Article 41 Section 2)

On or about December 1, each employee who is certified as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) shall be paid a skill premium of four hundred seventy-five dollars ($475).

X. EMPLOYEE MEAL CHARGES (Article 55)

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

XI. JOB SECURITY

From the July 1, 2011 and through June 30, 2015 there shall be no loss of employment for P-4 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 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 establishes for carrying out the State's commitments under this Agreement and to facilitate the Placement and Training process.

XII. SCHEDULED PAYMENT DATES

A. General Wage Increase

Lump Sum Payments for Employees to be Made Whole

B. Annual Increments and 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.

 

C. Safety Shoe Allowance

D. EMT Skill Premium

XIII. 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 through August 25, 2016 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 bi- weekly 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

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

garnishments.

 

D. Skill Premium (EMTs)
On the Timesheet Page: Amount; Time Reporting Code XSKPA
On the Additional Pay Page: Amount; Earnings Code SKP

 

E. Shift Differential
On the Timesheet Page: Hours; Shift 1; Account 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. Standby
On the Timesheet Page: Amount; Time Reporting Code XOCXA
On the Additional Pay Page: Amount; Earnings Code OCA

 

G. Vehicle Usage
On the Timesheet Page: Amount; Time Reporting Code XAUTA
On the Additional Pay Page: Amount; Earnings Code AUT

 

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

XIV. 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:SJ

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