To:������������������� Board of Regents

 

From:��������������� Sue I. Hill, Director

Labor Relations and Personnel

 

Re:������������������� Approval of Tentative Agreement with International Union of Operating Engineers

 

Date:���������������� November 20-21, 2003


Attached is a summary of the tentative agreement reached with the International Union of Operating Engineers. (IUOE).� The tentative agreement only shows the changes to the prior agreement.� The entire agreement can be accessed electronically at:� https://mus.edu/hr/cba/collbarg.asp.� This bargaining unit includes approximately 30 employees at The University of Montana-Missoula, UM-Western, Montana Tech, and Montana State University-Bozeman who maintain the heating and ventilation systems and perform other skilled maintenance duties.

 

The tentative agreement provides for a 25 cent per hour increase, effective January 1, 2005 and increases the monthly contribution to group health insurance by $44.00 in FY 2004 and $50.00 in FY 2005.� These increases are consistent with HB 13.� The tentative agreement also includes a partial tuition waiver benefit for dependents with FY 2005 that will be administered in accordance with Regent policy.

 

The agreement includes a few language changes but most are not very substantive.� The prior agreement provided for four months of continued health insurance for employees on a workers� compensation leave of absence.� The tentative agreement added a requirement that an employee must be employed for four or more years before becoming eligible to receive this benefit twice in a two-year period.� The one-year leave period of leave of absence granted to employees who are unable to perform their job duties due to a disability was changed to six months with a possible six-month extension.� The agreement was modified to incorporate the federal requirement that seniority continues to accrue during a leave without pay when an employee is called to active military duty.� The application of seniority in the event of a layoff was clarified.

 

I recommend approval of the tentative agreement with IUOE.� If the bargaining unit does not vote to ratify the tentative agreement prior to the November meeting, this item with be withdrawn.