MGEC will be hosting an Ethics Seminar on March 4, 2026, from Noon to 2:00 pm. An email with registration has been sent to MGEC members. If you did not receive the email, reach out to Donna@mgec.org. The MGEC Ethics Seminar will be hosted by Kodi J. Verhalen, Partner at Taft Law along with Spencer Rojas, Associate at Taft Law. The presentation will provide an overview of the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct and recent enforcement actions by licensing boards. Attendees will then walk ... Read More >>
Activity/Organization updates
President’s Message
Welcome to 2026 and thank you for your trust in me as President of MGEC. Thank you to outgoing President Corey Mathisen for his two terms in that role, and all of his service to MGEC! He will continue on the board as the recently elected Vice President, serving a two-year term. Additionally, I’d like to welcome incoming Past President Forrest Hasty. Thank you to previous past-president Fernando Nacionales for his service to our organization and country. Finally, welcome to our new board directors, Bill Meinholz and Mitch Kiecker, and thank you to our departing board directors, Bruce ... Read More >>
Backpay: Coming in the February 6th Check
According to the latest information from Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB), the back pay from the recently implemented collective bargaining agreement will be paid on February 6th. This backpay will be based on the 1.5% cost-of-living increase going back to July 1st. Those who benefitted from the “range reassignment” (Grad 1s and 2s, Trainee – Grad Engineers, Trainee – Land Surveyors, and Land Surveyors in training) will have those process shortly after the backpay. ... Read More >>
Minnesota Paid Leave Now Active
Minnesota Paid Leave (MPL) now joins the list of other leaves available for new parents, those with health conditions, as well as others who qualify for other uses, such as to take care of other members of the family. While each state agency is responsible for implementing their own policies, this is a significant enhancement of benefits for employees who need additional paid time to take care their families and themselves. It’s important to note that MPL runs concurrently with other leaves; it is not the case that when one ends another begins, and so on. They all run together on the same ... Read More >>
MGEC Leads in Student Loan Reimbursement at MnDOT
Measured as a proportion of members relative to total MnDOT employees, MGEC leads all bargaining units in participation in the Student Loan Reimbursement Program. In the most recent application round in September, 39 MGEC applications were approved, delivering $71,413.84 in benefits to our members. While MAPE had 48 approved applications, they represent a significantly larger share of MnDOT’s workforce, making MGEC’s participation rate notably higher. It took a long time to get this program up and running at MnDOT, and MGEC is working with other bargaining units to push other agencies to ... Read More >>
2026: The Year Ahead for MGEC
While 2026 is not an active bargaining year for MGEC, that doesn’t mean we’re not active! We are highly involved in several grievances ranging from disciplinary issues to the ongoing FLSA-exempt issue where the state seems to insist that our members work for no compensation. Guided by our Board and Advocacy Committee, it is important that we never drop the ball defending your rights under the MGEC contract. We expect some of these issues to go all the way to arbitration. There is no such thing as the “status quo” in labor relations, and we must remain vigilant to protect what we have. ... Read More >>