Highlights of the rejected contracts. . .

The contracts rejected December 15, 2010 would have been retroactive to July 1, 2009, and were to expire on June 30, 2011. Those contracts may now be written off as Govenor Scott Walker seeks to negotiate new contracts for 2011-13.

Salary freeze.
16 furlough days.
Requirement that employees pay up to 0.8 percent of their salaries toward their pensions.
Increases of up to $12 per month in employee contributions to health care.

       Additional concessions Walker wants . . .

State workers to contribute 5 percent of their salaries to their pensions.
Significantly higher employee contributions for health care.
Privatize some public jobs.
Allow employers to change work conditions without making them subject to bargaining, or eliminate public unions altogether.

At the joint bargaining unit conference on November 30, 2010, in Madison, delegates unanimously voted to accept the 2009-2011 tentative agreement reached with the State.  Members will receive ballots at their home address over the next five days. To be counted, completed ballots must be received by Council 24 in Madison by December 10, 2010.  Information on the new agreement will accompany your ballot. A couple highlights . . .

• Employee contribution to increase in health insurance premium July 2009 - November 2010 will be waived.  Employer will begin to recoup increase in employee contribution  as soon as administratively feasible.
• Compensation for pay status hours in excess of forty hours per workweek at premium rate of time and one-half in cash or compensatory time is at Employee discretion.
• Language adjustment for schedule changes.
• Adjustment to the order of application for AS transfer provisions.
• Memorandum of Understanding regarding replacing employees in layoff status with limited.

Bargaining teams worked long hours for several months, away from their families and their jobs, negotiating in good faith, with knowledge and experience, to reach this agreement. Take an opportunity to thank them for their dedicated efforts.

Every two years, The Wisconsin State Employees Union negotiates a new contract with the State of Wisconsin. The agreement states what wages, benefits, rights, and responsibilities we have, and what rights and responsibilities management has. Both the union and the state are obliged to obey this agreement.