10/7/16

The A&R Negotiation team met with the State on Thursday October 6^th.  While we were hoping for some progress, the State simply confirmed what we suspected: the State has no interest in settling our contract.  The State chose to pay an outside law firm to do nothing more than waste our time. 

The State officially declared that the first 2 years of our successor agreement must be hard zero’s...for 2 years.  Hard 0’s  mean no General Wage Increase and no Step movement.  It is also the State’s belief that this means that the Top Step Payment would not be paid in January 2017 nor would it be

We need members to particpate in the Connecticut AFL-CIO Labor to Labor Program.  Join fellow union members in phone banking and/or door knocking to spread the word about labor-endorsed candidates.  You can also volunteer to do vital office work to support the labor walk and phone banking activities.  Volunteers can even win a cash prize just for participating!  Dates, places can be found at Connecticut AFL-CIO Labor to Labor Program.

The reason A&R endorses candidates for the CT General Assembly Is pretty simple; it is the CT General Assembly that creates the budgets that dictate our wages and

• Stay Healthy - Stay Compliant
• Minimize your insurance premiums
• Receive $100 if you have a chronic condition and are HEP compliant

With the year drawing to a close, it is important for all members to ensure compliance with the Health Enhancement Program (HEP).  All persons covered under your health insurance must be HEP compliant.  Failure to achieve HEP compliance before January 1^st, 2017 will result in increased insurance premiums of $100 per month as well as encumbering a $350 annual deductible per covered individual.  Click the link to review 2016 HEP Requirements.

If you have one of the chronic conditions, be sure to complete your requirements before January 1^st, 2017 otherwise you will not be eligible for the $100 HEP chronic condition compliance payment.

HEP Chronic Conditions include:

• Diabetes
• COPD (or asthma)
• Coronary Artery Disease (heart disease/failure)
• Hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol)
• Hypertension

To check your compliance status at any time, and for more information about the Health Enhancement Program, visit www.CTHEP.com.

Layoffs in excess of 400 employees were recently announced at the Department of Developmental Services (DDS).  The layoffs are largely the result of an agency decision to privatize 20 group homes.  This continues the agency’s trend toward privatization, with nearly two-thirds of state-run group homes to be privatized.  No A&R titles have been impacted by the DDS layoffs thus far.  The expectation is that there will be some level of impact to A&R, but DDS has not informed us of any A&R positions that will be impacted by layoff.  We are monitoring the situation and remain cautiously optimistic.

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The Rowland settlement consists of two basic components, (1) Emotional Distress/Punitive Damages and (2) Economic Damages.  By now, everyone should have received the emotional distress/punitive damage award in the form of vacation days and/or personal days.  We are aware that most members have not yet received an offer to settle the Economic Damages portion of the award.  The Economic Damages payments are forthcoming, but have been delayed due to the complexity of processing them.  Members will be compensated for delayed payments by receiving 5% simple interest when their award is paid.

(1)

At the negotiations table the union has proposed reasonable wage increases, increments, and the payment of top step bonuses in each year of our successor contract.  Wages, increments, and top step bonuses are among our highest priorities.  Negotiations are ongoing, with the outcome yet to be determined.  Any settlement reached between the State and the Union needs the approval of the membership.  Absent a settlement, the successor contract will be determined via arbitration award.  We are well positioned for either scenario.

It has come to our attention that an anonymous text message is