On Thursday, May 21^st the MSCA filed an unfair labor practice (ULP) charge against the Board of Higher Education (BHE) based on their conduct and the conduct of their bargaining team.

The BHE has delegated the authority to bargain the successor day collective bargaining agreement to the university presidents.  However, the presidents’ conduct at the table indicates that they actually have no authority to bargain.

There are no additional bargaining dates, but we are working on that.

As you know, the MSCA currently has a one-year contract extension on the table,  That proposed extension includes protections we feel are necessary given the uncertainty of the fall 2020 semester, and addresses longer-term solutions should there be a resurgence of COVID-19 or some other emergency situation that requires a rapid transition from in-person classes to online/remote learning in the future.

The proposal is a realistic proposal recognizing the world-wide effects of the current pandemic.  The MSCA is not asking for any guaranteed salary increases during the next fiscal year, but rather for the opportunity to negotiate increases at a later date when and if the governor authorizes salary increases for state employees.

Thank you all for the amazing, seemingly impossible, rapid transition to save our students this spring semester.  We hope to be able to convince the presidents that a resolution on a one-year contract extension would be in everyone’s best interest, and would allow our attentions to be jointly focused on the fall 2020 semester.

MSCA President
CJ O’Donnell