September 22,2005

Dear MSCA Faculty and Librarians:

Though the MSCA leadership, college presidents and trustees have made numerous telephone and email contacts with the Executive Office of Administration & Finance, the request to fund the MSCA contract has not yet been sent by the governor to the legislature.

On Tuesday, September 20th of this week, the legislature passed a deficiency budget bill for FY 2005, which is now on the governor's desk for his final approval (or veto). Included in that bill are approximately 35 collective bargaining agreements, plus half of the remaining retroactive moneys due our colleagues in other higher education unions. The contract for the Association of Professional Administrators (APA), a higher education contract settled and ratified months after the MSCA contract, was included in this bill and is awaiting final approval by the governor.

Apparently a decision was made this summer by the Chancellor and other BHE staff members to prepare and transmit the APA contract funding request in advance of the MSCA contract funding request. I have not received a satisfactory explanation for this decision.

Our lobbyists from MTA have been in touch with the staff in Administration & Finance, and they report no problems with any MTA-affiliated contract, including MSCA's, being sent to the legislature for action this fall. The next supplemental budget bill is expected to be filed in the legislature sometime in October.

Another message will be sent to the membership next week. Thank you for your support and patience with this process.

Pat Markunas
Patricia V. Markunas, MSCA President

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