As you know, last March, the parties to the contract executed a one-year extension to the current agreement. In exchange for a 3% retroactive, across-the-board pay increase, the MSCA agreed to adopt the Commonwealth’s two-week payroll system, with Direct (electronic) Deposit. After the execution of this memorandum, we discovered that conversion to the two-week payroll system would mean a one-week delay in members’ receiving their pay beginning with the March, 2000, payroll. A consolidated grievance was filed and the arbitration is scheduled for February 9, 2000.

About three dozen members of the MSCA day bargaining unit at Salem State have not yet authorized Direct Deposit of their paychecks. Very shortly, these members will receive a letter from Edward Manning, asking them to designate a bank to receive the electronic transfer of their net pay for each two-week period. Please be advised that this process of Direct Deposit is not in dispute between the parties. However, there is language on the authorization form that gives permission to the state treasurer to withdraw monies from your bank account if they are deposited incorrectly. We did not agree to this language and are exploring its legality. Also, there is a process to request an exemption from the Direct Deposit requirement for those members for whom Direct Deposit would present a hardship. If you wish to request an exemption for hardship reasons, please contact the Chapter Office at X6366 or msca@ salem.mass.edu prior to February 16, 2000.

As was true in December, discussions between the MSCA/MTA and the BHE about contract proposals are no longer occurring in formal bargaining sessions. Instead, MSCA President Bill Murphy, Bargaining Chair Brad Art and MTA Executive Director Ed Sullivan meet separately with Acting Chancellor Judith Gill, Vice Chancellor Jay LaPorte and COP Executive Director William O’Neil to discuss bargaining proposals. The other members of the MSCA Bargaining Committee, along with MTA Consultant Donna Sirutis, are in a separate room and are consulted about the proposals given and the decisions to be made.

Such a meeting was held on Friday, January 28, and additional meetings are scheduled for Wednesday, February 2, and Monday, February 7. My sense is that some progress was made. Economics were the major topic of discussion. Adjustments to base pay, bonus monies, academic rank and promotion adjustments, chairs’ stipends, professional development money, changes in the sick leave buyback formula, and lab equivalencies are all under discussion. The Board of Higher Education (BHE) made a proposal informally that includes some of these items and we will respond on Wednesday.

Our side prepared and exchanged language changes to the current system of post-tenure review. The BHE will review and comment at the next meeting. We also discussed language concerning the proposed pool of bonus monies. Governance is an area where the sides appear to be furthest apart. The BHE has a proposal that is unacceptable and we are preparing a response in this area. The BHE also introduced Maritime issues that have not been discussed in months. Our position is that current language concerning the Academy is acceptable. Student evaluations and distance learning are issues that need to be discussed in greater detail.

It is unfortunate that these discussions are taking place in informal sessions and positions may change. We still do not have a new contract. It is important to let the members of the BHE know that the settlement of a fair and equitable agreement is important to faculty and librarians. The next opportunity to express our concern is at the next BHE meeting on February 15^th at Bunker Hill Community College at 8:30 AM. Please notify the chapter office if you can attend this meeting.

I’ll keep you informed of any developments. Many thanks for your patience.

The MSCA/Salem Chapter’s web page has moved to a new address. It is: http://www.gis.net/~salem/. In addition, the page is again available through the Salem State College web page. From the main page (http://www.salem.mass.edu) select Academic

Services. The link to the MSCA/Salem Chapter web page is towards the bottom of the list

of links available.

Graduate Education Council. One at-large vacancy. Eligible members must be members of the graduate faculty and full-time in the day bargaining unit but cannot be members of the Departments of Psychology, Education, Management or English.

Council on Teaching and Learning. One vacancy. Eligible members must be full-time in the day bargaining unit. Nominees from December will be automatically considered.

Strategic Planning Council. Two vacancies. Eligible members must be full-time or part-time members of the day bargaining unit.

Search Committee, Staff Assistant to the Academic Vice President. One unit member position exists on a search committee to replace the staff assistant to the Academic Vice President during her 18-month leave of absence. Eligible members must be full-time members of the day bargaining unit.

All terms except the Search Committee expire on May 31, 2000. If you are interested in any of these positions, please send a memo stating so to the Salem Chapter/MSCA Office no later than Monday, February 7, 2000.

Tuesday, February 8, 2:30 pm, The Underground, Ellison Campus Center, North Campus.

President Nancy D. Harrington will meet with the Executive Committee to hear concerns and answer questions. Committee appointments will also be made at this meeting.

Thursday, February 24, 2:30 pm, Presidential Dining Room, Ellison Campus Center, North Campus. Arlene Greenstein, Dean of Non-Traditional Programs, will meet with the Executive Committee to hear concerns and answer questions.

These meetings are open to all members of the day and DGCE bargaining units. We welcome your participation.