Step Increases & Top Step Payments in Last Paycheck
All members with permanent status and an overall satisfactory service rating should have received either a step increase or top step payment (for those at step 9) in the most recent paycheck. The step increase is valued at approximately 3% of gross pay and members will see that incremental increase in each pay cycle of their career going forward. Those at step 9 (top steppers) do not receive an incremental increase, and instead receive a lump sum annual top step payment valued at 2.5% of salary. These are all negotiated items. The terms of the step increases, top step payments, as well as the general wage increase of 2.5% received in July 2024 were all negotiated. Trust us when we say that the state does not just hand these raises out. They have to be negotiated and those negotiations are usually contentious, with the state pinching every penny.
Don't we get raises automatically?
We often encounter questions or statements from members along the following lines: "A&R members get their raises and step increases automatically, don't they?" This is a common misconception. The answer is a resounding no. The fact of the matter is the state would like to keep your salary as flat as possible. Fortunately we live in a state where collective bargaining is the norm. If a satisfactory deal cannot be reached by mutual agreement, either party can seek binding arbitration to resolve outstanding issues. The step increases and top step payments received in the last paycheck were negotiated approximately four years ago, and were determined through mutual agreement. The state undoubtedly wanted those increases to have been smaller, but collective bargaining provided a way for workers voices to be heard and for workers to insist on reasonable wage increases, which we ultimately won at the table.
Negotiations for Successor Contract
While we are unable to provide specific information about contract proposals exchanged at the table, we can tell you that negotiations between the state and the union for the A&R successor contract are ongoing. The current contract expires June 30, 2025. One of our goals is to have our successor contract voted on by the Legislature in this current legislative session. The current session runs from January 8th through June 4th. If we are able to come to a settled agreement (mutually agreed upon), we will need to conclude negotiations with the Governor's Office well in advance (at least thirty days prior) of June 4th. If we are unable to reach a settlement, we will need to take the state to binding arbitration to resolve outstanding issues that could not be resolved at the bargaining table. If either party forces arbitration, the end result will be an arbitration award. In that event, it would be most unlikely that our contract (arbitration award) will be ready for consideration at the 2025 Legislative session. To be certain, if our successor contract is delayed because of this, any monies in the successor agreement will be delayed (think wage increases and steps) and retroactive payments would need to be awarded by the arbitrator. The arbitrator's decision would still require approval from the legislature (which we most likely wouldn't attain until the 2026 session).
It is still too early to predict the outcome of the current negotiations. Whether we will arrive at a mutual agreement or if we will need to pursue binding arbitration has yet to be determined. Each has its risks, but we are managing these risks to the best of our ability. We can report that the state and the union have found common ground on a handful of issues. However, the state and the union remain far apart on many issues. And some of those issues are of paramount importance to the membership. We have not exchanged the all important financial proposals yet, but are scheduled to do so in the coming weeks. We believe we have structured our proposals in a manner that gives us a good chance at a settled contract getting before the Legislature on time. While we do not yet know what destiny lay ahead of us for our successor contract, we are well prepared for all contingencies. Many uncertainties will resolve in the coming weeks as the beat of the Legislative Session clock ticks away.