TO: Board of Regents

FROM: Sue Hill, Director, Labor Relations and Personnel

RE: Approval of Tentative Agreement with Montana Nurses Association

DATE: January 15-16, 2004

Attached is a summary of the tentative agreement with the Montana Nurses Association (MNA). MNA represents the registered nurses working in student health services at Montana State University-Bozeman. The summary only shows the changes to the prior agreement. The entire agreement can be viewed on line at https://www.mus.edu/hr/cba/collbarg.html 

Section 5.8, Insurance Coverage, was revised to include the increase in the employer contribution towards group health insurance as prescribed by state law. The provision in the prior agreement that provides for four months of continued health insurance premium during a workers' compensation leave of absence was clarified. Employees employed less than two years are eligible to receive this benefit once in a two-year period. Employees who have been employed for four or more years are eligible to receive the benefit twice in a two-year period. Sections 6.7 and 9.1 were modified to reflect the requirement under federal law that seniority continues to accrue indefinitely during a military leave of absence. The tentative agreement also adopts the Regents' policy on dependent tuition waivers.

The salary package includes a .5% achievement pay increase on June 30th of each year. In addition, all employees are eligible for a 25 cent per hour increase on January 1, 2005. The minimum salary for a Registered Nurse was set at $16.08.

The bargaining unit has already voted to ratify the tentative agreement. I recommend the Regents approve the tentative agreement with MNA.