September 18, 2017
(Updated October 26, 2017)

The MSCA received a financial offer from the BHE/Presidents at our session on Thursday, September 14.  The offer is:

• *0.5% increase July 1, 2017 and 0.5% increase January 1, 2018;
• 1% increase July 1, 2018 and 1% increase January 1, 2019; and
• 1% increase July 1, 2019 and 1% increase January 1, 2020.

*In addition, if tax revenues exceed $27.072 billion in fiscal year 2018 the increase on July 1, 2017 (retroactively) will increase by 1% to 1.5%.

There was no proposed increase to the Health and Welfare Trust, the funds which provide eye and dental coverage.  Management told us they are not proposing increases to department chair stipends, promotion increases, or terminal degree adjustments.

We appreciate the Presidents’ efforts to finally get a financial offer on the table, however, when coupled with their proposed elimination of the formulary increases that we have negotiated for most of the last decade and no guaranteed minimum PTR expenditures, this represents about a 60% reduction in the economic offer.

Remember, that while facing a significantly reduced financial offer, the Presidents have added to the pain by proposing significant take-backs, not the least of which is increasing part-time faculty positions.  This will replace high-paying benefited jobs (health insurance and a pension) with some job security with low-paying non-benefited jobs (no health insurance, no pension, and no social security) with no job security.

We would like to thank the Framingham Chapter who gathered with signs and wore our t-shirts to let the Presidents know our members are engaged and support the bargaining team.  We are planning future events as well.

We also received some nice press in the Gatepost, Framingham State University’s student newspaper.

Thank you all, across the state, for your support.  We are much stronger together and our power at the table only increases when support is visible on our campuses.  Please continue to wear the stickers, buttons and t-shirts.  Don’t worry, we are ordering more t-shirts!

In solidarity and on behalf of the team,
Amy Everitt, Chair, MSCA Day Bargaining
CJ O’Donnell, MSCA President