November 16, 2009

Dear MSCA members,

I am pleased to report that the DGCE Bargaining Committee reached a tentative agreement on a two-year collective bargaining agreement during our mediation session today.

The agreement will run from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2011 and includes a 2% increases in the stipends with effect at the beginning of the Spring 2011 instructional period. We will be working with the presidents' representative on a memorandum of agreement that will detail the changes that have been agreed to.

You may recall that the last increase in DGCE stipends took effect at the beginning of the Spring 2009 instructional period. That mean, along with every other statewide union, the MSCA/DGCE unit will have one year with no increase in the stipends (some unions had no increase for more than one year). The DGCE team worked very hard to try to avoid a 'zero' year. In fact, the stipend increases and effective dates of the increases were significant components of the mediation discussions.

You should also know that every other statewide union will be receiving either a 1% or 1.5% increase in the second year of their agreements, once funded by the legislature. The DGCE team was able to secure a 2% increase in the second year of the agreement. Since these funds are paid through campus funds rather than legislative appropriation, no legislative action is required.

I would like to thank DGCE Bargaining Committee chair Sue Dargan, the members of the DGCE Bargaining Committee and MTA Consultants Beth Boyer, Priscilla Lyons and Bob Whalen for their help reaching this agreement.

Once signed, the tentative agreement will be presented to the MSCA Board of Directors for a recommendation on ratification either at the December or January meeting, and then be sent to the membership for ratification once the Board sets ratification dates.

C. J. O'Donnell
MSCA President

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