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On Friday, December 15, 1995, the MCCC Negotiating Team reached a tentative agreement with the employer.

The MCCC was scheduled to meet with the presidents on December 15 to discuss additional money (in addition to Administration and Finance's offer) to address the system wide inequities. Before the meeting took place, however, J. Carlton LaPorte and Peter Psfaris, both from the Higher Education Coordinating Council (HECC) came to deliver the "final offer" from the governor. The MCCC was informed that the offer came with the imprimatur of the governor, Chancellor Koplik, the new HECC chair James Carlin, and A&F's Assistant Secretary Joe Trainer. Once that offer was brokered, the MCCC Team met with the presidents. It was informed that since A&F's offer included classification designed to address all the inequities, the presidents would not propose additional money for correcting inequities.

The Team subsequently reached agreement with the president on additional money beyond A&F's package.

If the amount for A&F's classification falls below 5.5%, the presidents have agreed to fund additional money, but the amount and process of distribution would be based on certain criteria as outlined below. What follows is a breakdown of A&F's three-part proposal and the agreement with the college presidents.

A&F Salary Package

7/1/95 2.5% base rate increase;

7/1/95 2.5% educational needs*

7/1/96 3.0% base rate increase

7/1/97 2.5% base rate increase

Total 8.0% on base for everyone.

*The MCCC and the presidents have agreed that the process for receiving educational needs money will be "hassle free."

The remainder of the 1 1.5% package, 3.5%, will go to a classification study and the cost of implementing the classification study (adjustment of salaries of all unit members who get reclassified).

If the cost and implementation of the classification study exceed 3.5%, the MCCC was assured on many occasions by A&F that the total cost would be borne by Administration and Finance through a supplemental appropriation.

Classification

The agreement provides for the funding and implementation of a comprehensive classification study equivalent of 3.5% ($2.5 million). The purpose is to set forth objective, accepted, and understood categories and/or ranges of where employees' salaries should fall. The classification will be based on a system wide analysis. A fair classification system should also remove the randomness on where new employees are hired on the salary schedule. Timing of hiring based on a particular budget year or politics should be eliminated from the process.

The concerns the team had about this study were somewhat mollified when it was agreed that the MCCC will be on the committee to develop the Request for Proposal (RFP). An RFP is like a bid specification, and it will be sent out for consultants to bid on the 'Job." In addition, the MCCC will participate in the evaluation of the proposals submitted and the selection of a consultant. The consultants will then go off and do their job, and when completed, the implementation of the classification would be subject to negotiations and impact bargaining.

Reclassification

As part of the classification study, a reclassification component must be included within the study. A reclassification would entail criteria for moving on the salary schedule in the future. This component would also fall under impact bargaining when the consultant makes a recommendation on the initial hiring criteria and movement on the salary schedule.

Presidents' Agreement

The agreement reached with the presidents includes up to 2% money from the college maintenance accounts. The breakup and distribution of that money was agreed to as follows:

• If the total cost of the classification is 3.5% or less, the community college presidents will fund up to an additional 2% to be distributed as a base rate increase or as a bonus, depending on cost of classification. For example, if the cost of the classification is 2%, then everyone will receive a 1.5% (3.5% -2% = 1.5%) base rate increase and the remaining .5% (from the 2% pool) will become a bonus. If the cost of classification is 3%, then everyone will receive a .5% base rate increase and 1.5% as a bonus. If the cost of classification is 1.5% or less, then everyone will receive a 2% base rate increase.
  
• If the total cost of the classification is the same or more than 3.5%, then all unit members will receive a bonus equivalent to the difference between 3.5% and a maximum of 5.5%. For example, if classification is 3.5%, then everyone receives 2% bonus; if classification is 4.2%, then everyone receives 1.3% bonus. If the classification is 5.5% or more, there will be no additional money from the presidents.

If things were to go smoothly, and that is a big if, the classification could be completed within a year. Since we were concerned that it might take longer, HECC agreed with the MCCC's proposal that regardless of when the study is completed and implemented, all money for classification would be effective no later than January, 1, 1997.

The process from this point includes a recommendation from the MCCC Board to the membership concerning ratification. Regardless of the Board's vote, the decision to bring the tentative agreement rests with the Negotiating Team. Each campus will hold meetings with an opportunity for discussion and questions concerning the tentative agreement. A process for ratification would then be put into motion. If ratified, the agreement would then be executed by the MCCC and HECC and the request for funding sent to the governor for submission to the legislature. We do not anticipate any delay by the governor with his request for funding.

The Team would like to thank all the unit members for their support. This has been, certainly, the strangest bargaining circumstance anyone of us has ever faced. The most positive result is that the MCCC and the college presidents have forged the foundation for better relationship and a better understanding of each others' concerns.

Option Retirement Plan

(ORP's)

Last year the legislature passed an Optional Retirement Plan bill which would allow faculty and presidents of public higher education institutions to opt out of participating in the state's retirement system. As a result, faculty who are in their eighth or ninth year have been receiving solicitations from various companies encouraging members to participate in their retirement program and forego the state retirement plan.

When this bill was moving through the legislature, it was not supported by the community or state colleges since both unions felt that they did not want to negatively impact our retirement system by having people not participate. The bill was originally designed for the university system to allow portability of retirement benefits.

Once employees are in the Massachusetts system for ten years, they are considered vested and, therefore, can retire with a pension, albeit small, and health coverage. Before employees reach that threshold now, they can choose not to continue in the state's program but rather join an alternate program. Or, if someone is already vested in the state retirement system, he or she can choose to leave the state system and join an optional retirement plan. It is probably unwise, however, for anyone who is vested to leave the state system.

The major concern has been the health benefits. Employees will receive health insurance coverage from the state when they retire regardless of their retirement plan: The general counsel for the State Retirement Board is in the process of writing a letter stating that health insurance flows from the state to the retiree regardless any retirement plan. Once that letter is received, it will be published in the Newsletter.

Before anyone switches to an optional retirement plan, he or she should contact an MTA Retirement Consultant (Dacre Kent) and an accountant or estate planner.

NEA Northeast Leadership Conference The NEA Northeast Leadership Conference will be held from Friday, January 26 to Sunday, January 28, 1996, at the Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. Though the Trump Plaza is sold out, the NEA is holding a block of rooms at the Holiday Inn on the Boardwalk (1-800- 548-3030). The conference fee is $80 and the hotel rooms are %95 at the Holiday Inn. The focus of the conference will include workshops on Proactive Organizing, The Radical Right, Family / Community / School Collaboratives, Education Funding and the Eroding Tax Base, and Campaign 96. Anyone interested in attending must contact the NEA Regional Office in Braintree at 617-848-0829.

NEA Higher Education Conference This year's NEA Higher Education Conference will be held in Tempe, Arizona from March 1-3, 1996. The focus of the conference will be Technology and the Future of Higher Education and will include workshops on distance learning, intellectual property rights, restructuring, tenure, new styles of governance, new unionism, fiscal policy, and workload. The Conference will be held at the Radisson Tempe Mission Palms Hotel. The conference registration fee is $135 and $115 for rooms, single or double occupancy. The registration fee covers lunch and reception on Friday, continental breakfast and lunch on Saturday, and brunch on Sunday.

NEA/AFT Merger Talks Continue The merger discussion between the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers will continue with an expanded negotiation: team. Instead of seven NEA member there will be eleven. Ernest Therrien NEA Director and a professor at Spring field Technical Community College is the only classroom teacher on either the NEA or AFT Negotiating Teams. The NEA tear was given more room to negotiate by the annual meeting delegates since they re moved some of the previous restrictions the the discussions.

MCCC Statewide Election and MTA and NEA Delegate Election Time

This year elections will be held for MCCC statewide officers as well as delegate elections to the MTA Annual Meeting and the NEA Representative Assembly. Attached to this newsletter is a nomination-form page that must be filled out for each office sought. For example, those wishing to run for an officer's seat and as a delegate to the MTA and NEA meetings

must fill out (3) nomination forms. For those running for statewide office, candidates must submit 50 signatures of active members (see back of nomination paper.). Nomination papers are due no later than Tuesday, February 13, 1996, 4 p.m. Papers must be in hands of Professor Allan Peck, Election Chair, by the deadline time.

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Report your Blue Cross Dental Woes?

Anyone having a complaint or concern about the Blue Cross Dental plan and coverage should direct his or her comments to

Abe Sherf,
North Shore Community College.

He is the community college representative on the Health and Welfare Trust Fund.

Proposed Bylaw Changes Due

Any suggested changes in the MCCC Bylaws must be received by the Bylaws and Rules Committee no later than February 1, 1997. All proposals must be sent to Ernest Therrien at Springfield Technical Community College.

You do not have to put a proposed bylaw change in its proper format. You need only to submit the idea and the committee will put it in the proper language.

Looking for a Job

The vacancies within the community colleges are easily accessible on the MTA Bulletin Board System (BBS) (1-800-523- 8883) You can read, download, and/or print these vacancies at your terminal. If you do not have access to a modem, a printout can be faxed to you. Fax your request to the Communications Coordinator at 617- 236-0448. You must include the name of the college(s) where you work.

For the first time user. When you call into the BBS, you will need to provide some information to the systems operator. You can get on the BBS immediately and choose your password. Once you get on the BBS, follow these steps to get to the vacancy area. Enter your name and password, Select F(ile); 6(Vacancies in community colleges); (F)files in this area; (V)iew and type in the first two numbers of the last dated entry e.g., 42-11-1996 (You would type 42).

Only questions specific to the MTA BBS should be directed to the systems Operator (SYSop) Ron Miller (1-508-653-7244), preferably through the BBS. If you have specific questions about a vacancy, call the college.

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Know Your Contract

Jan. 15	Professional staff work performance evaluation due for first year employees
Jan. 15	Professional staff College Service and Student Advisement evaluation due
Jan. 16	Earliest a professional day can be assigned
Jan. 20	Faculty College Service and Student Advisement evaluation due
Jan. 22	Earliest classes can begin
Jan. 22	Office hours submitted
Jan. 23	Student evaluation summary due
Jan. 26	First year professional staff post evaluation conference
Jan. 26	Full-time faculty schedule changes sent to chapter president

N.B. Dates may vary depending on first day of classes. Also, most of these dates are "last date" standards. In many instances, the action can he accomplished before the date indicated.

MCCC Newsletter Editor: Catherine A. Boudreau MCCC/MTA Newsletter 20 Ashburton Place Boston, MA 02108

The MCCC Newsletter is a publication of the Massachusetts Community College Council. The Newsletter is intended to be an information source for the members of the MCCC and for other interested parties. The material in this publication may be reprinted with the acknowledgment of its source. For further information on issues discussed in this publication, contact Catherine Boudreau, Massasoit Community College, Brockton, MA 02402.

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