This case involved two separate issues. 1) The current MGEC contract provided for Employees in Ranges 1 & 4 to switch from annual progression steps to steps every six months. At issue was implementation of when employees were due their next steps once the contract became effective. MGEC believed that any employees in those pay ranges whose last step increase was six months or more in the past deserved the increase on May 18, 2020, because more than six months had passed since their last progression. The employer denied that interpretation and claimed that they must wait six months after ... Read More >>
Contract Bargaining Update
The first day of bargaining with the state was postponed from June 24th to July 28th. With the legislature still in session, bargaining with AFSCME and MAPE was delayed and will continue into late July. The state recently informed MGEC that they would not be ready to present their opening proposals in June when MGEC was scheduled to start bargaining. MGEC prefers both sides share their proposals on the same day. The delay to July means we may know the outcome of bargaining for the larger unions when we begin bargaining. ... Read More >>
Layoff Notices sent by MMB
Layoff Notices went out to most state employees. Governor Walz has communicated with employees that he hopes the general broad deal reached with House and Senate leadership will lead to a detailed budget agreement which needs to be passed into law before June 30, 2021. A special session is set to begin June 14th. Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) asked unions to sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that acknowledges layoff if a budget bill is not passed and modifies union contracts pertaining to insurance, bumping, layoff notices, and other terms related to layoffs. At the heart of the ... Read More >>
MGEC Wins Arbitration
MGEC filed a grievance concerning employees who were not paid their Deferred Compensation match in 2019. This issue impacted approximately 462 employees! Arbitrator Wallin found that the employer’s change in process, so employees had to request matching funds was not reasonable; not done properly, and did not apply to employees who wanted the deferred comp match. Arbitrator Wallin said the process only applied to employees seeking to cash out vacation, not those who wished to receive the $300 in matching funds for their deferred compensation account. The state had attempted to argue they ... Read More >>
Upcoming Events
The annual member meeting has been rescheduled for August 30th, from 4-5 pm. It will be a virtual only event. The annual MGEC golf event has been scheduled for September 13th, starting with a 12 pm tee time at Oak Marsh Golf Course. The fee with cart is $61.00 ($43.49 without cart). Register by calling 1-651-730-8886 or online at www.oakmarshgolf.com. This is a golf only event. MGEC is not hosting a dinner after the event. ... Read More >>
PE Review Class changes
MGEC will no longer be providing a PE exam review course. MGEC started offering the PE exam review class in the early 1990s; this long standing tradition was successful for almost 30 years! This change is the result of upcoming retirements for some instructors and other instructors balancing many responsibilities (work, children, etc.). The exams have been transitioning to an online basis and it’s expected that all will be online within the next couple of years. Instead, starting in November 2020, MGEC will provide reimbursement for Full Members enrolled in a review course for their ... Read More >>