June 20, 2017

This afternoon MSCA President CJ O’Donnell and MSCA Vice President Robert Donohue testified in support of the intention behind Senate Bill 1025 , that the governor be required to include the “roll out” costs of newly negotiated contracts in his/her budget after the initial funding is approved.  Roll out costs are the costs associated with increases in the second and third years of a three-year contract.

The MSCA and other higher education leaders were concerned when we first learned of the bill.  The concerns were that, as drafted, the bill would “open” Chapter 150E (the public collective bargaining law), meaning that in addition to fighting to get the contracts finding in a supplemental budget in the first year, we would also have to fight to get the contract funded in the second year, and then again in the third year.

MTA researched the higher education leaders’ concerns and determined that our concerns were warranted – the bill would (or at least could) require that the higher education unions fight for funding ever year.

Our written testimony focused on this concern.  Our oral testimony focused on the effect of a better crafted bill, the colleges’ and universities’ ability to reduce student fees.

Any redrafted language will be posted when it becomes available.

There is a parallel bill, House Bill 1434.