MSCA/Salem Chapter Newsletter
February 6, 2001

President's Message - Paul F. McGee February 06, 2001
Over the past few weeks, we have moved forward on a number of fronts. In some areas, such as the DCGE contract and the implementation of the 3% pay raise, we have made progress. In other areas, such as the day bargaining, negotiations remain protracted and unresolved.

DGCE Contract
On January 24th, both sides reached a tentative agreement on a three year DGCE contract. On February 2nd, the MSCA Board of Directors recommended ratification. This chapter owes a tremendous thanks to Tom Luddy (ENG) who represented this Chapter and to the other statewide representatives who worked hard for this agreement at the bargaining table. See Tom's article below for a summary of the highlights of the proposed contract. A ratification vote has been scheduled for Tuesday, February 27th, from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Salem Chapter/MSCA office, Sullivan Building, Room 205B.

Last Year's Pay Raise
As many have noticed, the 3% raise was incorporated in your February 2nd paycheck. Retroactive monies are scheduled to be paid in the February 16th paycheck. This raise was for day (full-time and part-time) unit members. Worksheets to calculate your adjustment are included in the next issue of the MSCA Perspective, scheduled to appear in your mailboxes this week.

Day Bargaining
Both sides met on January 26th and February 1st. We have had a total of sixty-nine (69) bargaining sessions, twenty-six (26) with a mediator. Post-tenure review remains a major area of contention. The issues still unresolved include criteria for evaluation, the frequency of evaluation, and the volume of information that will be part of the process. The general sense of your bargaining team was that the Thursday session was a step backward. The next scheduled meeting is February 16th and the agenda will be our issues: health and welfare increases, sick leave buy-back, 1:1 equivalency ratio for labs, economics including professional development monies. As always, we will keep you informed.

Legislative News
The Bridgewater Chapter was successful in having Senator Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge) and Rep. Peter Larkin (D-Pittsfield) introduce the following bill (Senate bill #299):

Authorizing and Directing the Board of Higher Education to Support College Faculty and Librarians Salary Schedules Equivalent to Peer Institutions.

That for the purpose of promoting the public good, and to insure high quality instruction and support services at the several state colleges, the Board of Higher Education is hereby authorized and directed to base collective bargaining agreements with state college faculty and profession librarians on achieving and maintaining equivalency with salary schedules for faculty and professional librarians with similar credentials at peer institutions as identified by the Board of Higher Education. The benefits provided by this resolve shall be incorporated in any collective bargaining agreements submitted to the General Court for appropriation.

All members are encouraged to contact their state senators and representatives and ask their support for Senate Bill #299.

DGCE Bargaining Report - Thomas Luddy
On January 24th the DGCE Bargaining Team and the COP reached an agreement. The highlights are as follows:

· We have agreed that DGCE salaries will be raised by 3% per year for three years effective January 1, 2001, 2002, and 2003.
· We revised and simplified the definition of "Graduate Course."
· We have agreed that mailboxes will be provided for DGCE members who request them.
· We have agreed that DGCE salaries will be paid in two installments instead of the current one payment at the end of the course. This applies only to full semester courses for the fall and spring semesters.
· We have agreed on a new rank for long serving members stuck at Visiting Instructor level. The rank, Visiting Senior Instructor, will be paid a stipend 1/3 of the way from Visiting Instructor to Visiting Assistant.
· For class size maximums, we have agreed that the DGCE Department Chair will recommend class sizes to the Dean.
· We have agreed on minor changes to the current equivalency chart. The most important change is the elimination of the phrase "up to" for Fieldwork and Teacher Practicum. This provides uniformity of practice across the state.
· We agreed to use only the short form of evaluation.
· On contract course limits, we agreed to raise the limits slightly, dependent on the current limits at each college.

No other changes are in the new agreement. A more detailed report of the new contract will be communicated to you directly from the MTA office.

There remains the Distance Learning portion yet to be bargained. Proposals have not been exchanged. That bargaining will probably begin in late March.

Committee Appointments
The Salem Chapter/MSCA Executive Committee elected the following members to serve on the indicated committees. Many thanks to all those willing to participate in the important task of governance.

College-Wide Web Page Committee:
Juditha Burchsted (BIO)

Bookstore Committee:
David Tapley (BIO) and Jim Fallon (THE)

Curriculum Committee:
Robert Wang (CHE)

Executive Committee Meetings
Salem Chapter/MSCA

Tuesday, February 15, 2001
2:30 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.
Salem Room, South Campus

Tuesday, March 20, 2001
2:30 p.m..- 4:00 p.m.
Essex County Room

Thursday, April 26, 2001
2:30 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.
MLK Room

ALL MEMBERS ARE WELCOME