GOVERNOR SIGNS PAY BILLS
Governor Pataki has signed the pay bills authorizing the state contract raises for CSEA members, who will receive three straight pay increases in the next three paychecks.
Beginning with the June 29 paycheck for employees on the institutional payroll and the July 5 paycheck for employees on the administrative payroll, CSEA members will no longer have to contribute 10 percent for individual and 25 percent for dependent prescription drug coverage.
Next, the $500 bonus will be paid in the July 13 paycheck for employees on the institutional payroll and in the July 19 paycheck for employees on the administrative payroll.
Finally, across-the-board raises for 1999 and 2000, including retroactive payments will be paid in the July 27 paycheck for employees on the institiutional payroll and in the August 2 paycheck for employees on the administrative payroll.
CSEA MEMBERS OVERWHELMING RATIFY
STATE CONTRACT
LATHAM - CSEA-represented state employees have voted in unprecedented
numbers to ratify a new four-year agreement with New York State. CSEA members approved the
agreement by a vote of 44,245 yes to 2,478 no.
"CSEA is a stronger union today than before we began this contract fight - our members stood up
to be counted during a year of mobilization and they stood up to be counted in support of the
agreement," CSEA President Danny Donohue said.
The contract reached in March followed nearly a year of contentious negotiations. The agreement
and separate pension reform legislation must now be approved by the state legislature before going
into effect.
The four year agreement provides across-the-board increases coupled with an agreement to seek
legislative elimination of pension contributions for members in Tiers 3 and 4 with 10 years of
enrollment in the state retirement system. This provision alone equals 3 percent of salary annually.
CSEA members in Tiers 1 and 2 will earn an additional one month of service credit (up to 24 months)
for each year of service which will result in significant pension enhancement.
Taken as a whole, just the raises and pension reductions put more than 22 percent of salary into the
pockets of most CSEA members over the duration of the agreement.
The raises payable in April were a major issue in the negotiations.
There are a range of improvements to health insurance coverage along with some minor changes.
The agreement covers 77,000 state employees in four bargaining units: the Administrative Services
Unit (ASU); the Institutional Services Unit (ISU); the Operational Services Unit (OSU); and
the Division of Military and Naval Affairs (DMNA).