A&R Employees have two tentative agreements: one is our own contract and the other is a pension/healthcare agreement.

Both agreements are required to pass a majority vote of the membership.  Voting will open Friday 7/7 through Sunday 7/16 11:59 pm.  This will be an electronic vote via website just like our annual union voting. 

While two seperate votes are required: one vote on the A&R contract and a second vote for Pension/Healthcare, be aware that this is a package deal.  In order to obtain the wage increases and job security being offered, a 'yes' vote is needed on both the A&R contract and the SEBAC modifications.   If the A&R contract is passed by the membership, but the membership votes down the SEBAC changes (pension and healthcare) it is a near certainty the legislature will reject the A&R contract, sending us to arbitration.  

All ACTIVE members will receive their voting credentials in the mail within the next few days (non-members/fee payers will not receive credentials).  Voting credentials will be on a postcard-sized document with the A&R logo on front and back.  Type in the web address identified on the postcard (exactly as written) and enter your credentials. The website is enabled for smartphone access as well.

If there are issues with the voting or you do not receive your credentials by Tuesday 7/11, please email: office@andr.org.

The 15 members of SEBAC voted to accept the negotiated Framework resulting in a Tentative Agreement between the State and the SEBAC unions.  The Tentative Agreement will now be subject to membership ratification.  The results of the ratification vote are to be reported back to SEBAC on July 17, 2017.

The A&R membership will be voting electronically on 2 issues simultaneously:

1) Pension/Healthcare Tentative Agreement
2) A&R Contract Tentative Agreement.

A simple majority (>50%) is required to pass each issue.

View the SEBAC Tentative Agreement
View the A&R Tentative Agreement

The long running battle to get an A&R contract has come to a significant point.  After many long days and late nights, we have hammered out a tentative agreement with the State.  The tentative agreement has been signed by both parties and will be subject to a membership ratification vote in July.

There were many issues that needed to be addressed and many provisions that we needed to protect.  As you will see, collective bargaining can lead to improved benefits, guaranteed by contract.  We covered quite a bit of ground in this agreement.

Some of the issues:

• Snow day shift closings won't incur use of accruals,
• Delayed Openings will allow full "ww" credit and ability to make up the time,
• "Essential Employees" will receive comp time if their normal shift is closed yet they work
• Maximum vacation accrual increased (payout remains capped at 480 hrs)
• AWS won't be denied or removed without a proper (expedited) hearing.
• If instructed to attend meetings outside employee AWS schedule requires 10 day notice or OT/Comp
• Funeral Time now includes memorial services and mother/father in-laws
• Stipend for volunteering to provide bilingual services
• Top Step Payment will be a permanent part of wages, no longer a bonus at risk
• Tuition/Professional Development funds will be paid retroactively
• Attorney CLEs will be covered (both cost and time)
• Telecommuting policy to be negotiated later this year
• Durational/temporary employees attain contract rights

Summary of the A&R Contract Tentative Agreement

What Happens Next...

View The
SEBAC Tentative Agreement and FAQs

SEBAC Summary
 

A&R Contract Tentative Agreement

A&R Contract Summary
updated 6/29

For those struggling to understand why we are again working with the Governor's Office on a labor agreement, this is why...

Attached is the press release from the Republican Senators who are calling for the end of collective bargaining for State Employees...remember, the GOP is tied for control of the State Senate...and they are only down 79-72 in the CT House.  Here is their plan for State employees:

Here is a snippet from the ctmirror article on the GOP plan:

Senate Republican leader Len Fasano unveiled a plan to achieve nearly $2.2 billion in savings — with or without union consent.

But it would require officials to:

• Suspend or eliminate arbitration for unionized employees’ wages;
• Replace all overtime with compensatory time;
• Increase worker contributions toward retirement health care and require more service before guaranteeing this benefit;
• And triple all workers’ pension contributions in future years.

“We have the power within the legislature to change statutes, prospectively and currently, to achieve savings,” Fasano said. “ … This is the power we have. We don’t have to sit back and wait.”

Attached is a Summary of the SEBAC framework which we hope can address many of the questions being asked.  This framework extends our benefits, at risk is having them completely eliminated.

-5/31/17

After several months of informal discussions between SEBAC leadership and representatives from the Governor's Office, the parties have produced a framework for a potential agreement.  Many issues were discussed.  Many tough choices needed to be made to arrive at the framework.  Unfortunately in the past few weeks a $450 million free-fall in tax revenue increased the projected biennial deficit past $5 billion, making our insistence on top step payments an untenable position.  We recognize the impact this has on many of our members and are exploring other avenues to address the issue.  We also recognize the sacrifice all members are again being asked of in the context of the framework.  Given the alternatives, we believe the framework offers the best opportunity to protect our pension and healthcare benefits long term while simultaneously providing job security over the next 4 years and reasonable wage increases during a time of $5 billion deficits.  Before the framework can be further acted upon by the membership, we need to settle some unresolved issues with the state involving the A&R union contract.

We are faced with many threats, the least of which may be the immediate threat of layoffs.  The very benefits that we are trying to preserve and protect for every member are at risk.   Had the members not made the unpleasant choice to extend the SEBAC agreement in 2011, the pension and healthcare contract would be expiring July 1 of this year.  There would be no automatic extension.  We would be negotiating under horrendous multi-billion dollar deficit conditions.  We also must take note that the political landscape of the state is in flux.  In 2022, we may face a different risk - not the risk of being asked to contribute more to maintain our benefits, but of having them replaced entirely with things of much less value - Discontinuance of our defined benefit plans, expensive insurance plans with high deductibles and sky-rocketing premiums.  Even those who are considering retirement soon must recognize that only pensions are secure upon retirement, healthcare is not.  There is a tremendous advantage to securing benefits through 2027.  If you need examples of what may be in store for us in 2022, please review the GOP House Concession Plan  which was unveiled a few weeks ago.  It is our hope that we can ride out this time of economic turmoil until the State returns to economic prosperity.  The State believes that these changes are necessary to end the shortfalls in funding our benefits and ensure that employee benefits will remain secure long-term.

A SEBAC Framework Slideshow has been produced by AFT CT.  It is much more readable than the actual framework and provides insight regarding not only the framework, but also describes how members (assuming all contracts are settled) will be asked to vote on two issues (1) the A&R union contract; and (2) the pension and healthcare agreement.  The slideshow describes what the implications are for "yes" and "no" outcomes for each vote.

Many members have asked about Medicare Advantage.  Here is an FAQ:
Medicare Advantage frequently asked questions.