Local wins on key issues: pay and layoff provisions

Public employee unions in Connecticut may not have to negotiate new contracts based on the state’s outdated, low-ball revenue assumptions, thanks to a groundbreaking arbitration victory notched by AFT Connecticut’s largest public employee local.

A March 7 arbitration award gives professionals represented by the Administrative & Residual Employees Union (A&R) salary increases that break the prevailing wage pattern for public employees in the state.

The union won 3.5 percent general wage increases in 2004, 2005 and 2006, retroactive to July 1 of last year. It marked a major victory for state employees who have been saddled with wage freezes or raises of no more than 3 percent since the state laid off thousands of employees in 2003.

The layoffs, sparked by plunging government receipts in 2003, ushered in what A&R president Mike Winkler called a chilling bargaining climate for public employee unions that has remained in place even after revenues have climbed.

A&R, working in cooperation with the AFT research department, met the challenge with hard-nosed, aggressive bargaining that documented rising state revenues and offered compelling evidence that Connecticut had the wherewithal to give competitive salary increases to employees. The opinion bodes well for future negotiations because it dismisses the state’s claim that the revenue situation has not meaningfully improved.

“Other unions are thrilled that we didn’t just lay down and take a zero,” said Winkler. “We settled a year that nobody else had settled, and breaking the 3 percent pattern is a wonderful gift for them.”

“The arbitration award represents a groundbreaking settlement for Connect-icut state employees,” said Steve Porter, director of AFT Public Employees. “I know this was a hard-fought victory coming on the heels of some very tough battles with the previous governor.

“Public employee salary increases have slowed in recent years, and it is great to see this kind of progress. This is a tremendous achievement that will benefit state professionals and the state of Connecticut and will set the pace for others to follow,” Porter notes.

The arbitration award also maintains layoff lanuage, thwarting the state’s effort to weaken employee protections against displacement. This was a major concern of A&R, which represents a variety of professionals, most being highly educated or specialized workers in the fiscal, administrative, planning, legal and tax-related fields.

The award also preserves alternative work schedule language and promotes the use of unbalanced schedules (weeks of varying length that total 80 hours for the pay period).

This was a key bargaining objective for members, particularly in an age when professionals have heavy burdens to care for both children and parents, said Winkler, who also is a member of the AFT Public Employees program and policy council.

The award also includes increased tuition assistance for employees and state-paid costs for securing certificates and licenses necessary to do their work.

The Legislature received the contract from the Office of Policy and Manage-ment March 18. It has 30 days to act on the contract or it becomes law.