Tentative Agreement Reached!

Contract Highlights

Wage Increases

  • Effective 10/1/2022, a 5% wage increase.

  • Effective 10/1/2023, a 2.5% wage increase.

  • Effective 10/1/2024, a 2.5% wage increase.

  • The Wage scale for Represented Counsel will be 7% above the Staff rep scale

No increases in percentage of healthcare premium!

Path to Permanency for SIF/Growth Fund Employees

  • Regular full time status after 3 years (possible 6 month extension by mutual agreement)

  • Car allowance and tuition aid after 2 years (allowance option only)

3 Year Contract expiring in 2025

Additional Improvements as follows:

  • Improvements to Parental Leave

  • APP Increase (1% increase in Employer Contribution to 8.5%)

  • Increased Vacation for Employees with 0-14 years of service

  • Increased car allowance +$25 each year of the agreement

  • Increased Car Allowance Mileage to ½ IRS rate

  • Increased non-overnight meal allowance from $17.50 to $25.00

  • Increased phone stipend from $55 to $65 


Summary

  • Gendered Language

    • Remove all gendered language from the contract by replacing “his/her” with “their” and “he/she” with “them.”

  • Article 1 - Recognition

    • Eliminated the grouping “temporary staff” and add Senior Campaign Lead, Campaign Lead and Campaign Assistant.

  • Temporary Staff - New Article

    • Campaign Titles

      1. Temporary staff with campaign titles are defined as those hired and employed for up to three (3) years on one or more SIF/Growth fund projects or campaigns, and hired into any of the three “campaign” job titles designated in Article 1.1 of the recognition clause. 

      2. An additional 6 months may be added for temp staff by mutual agreement

      3. Temporary Staff will be excluded from the following:

        1. Article 9 NCS - except for vacation allotment.

        2. Article 10.1: Temporary Employees do not have access to layoff and bumping language until reaching the three year mark.

        3. Article 12 -Transfer Expense

        4. Article 14 except for 14.6 and 14.7

        5. Article 16 - LOA

        6. Article 19 except for 19.5

        7. Appendix A- (Moving Expense is not exempted)

        8. MOUs:Staff Surplus and Vacancy Plan, Tuition Aid

      4. At the completion of two (2) years of employment in these campaign titles, the Employee shall no longer be exempted from Articles 9, 19 (except eligible Campaign Titles shall only have access to 19.2, Transportation and Mileage Expense Allowance, not staff cars), Appendix A, and MOUs and Tuition Aid

    • Temporary Staff that are used to replace Staff reps or DOCs will be excluded from:

      1. Article 5, Article 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, Appendix A, Staff Surplus and Vacancy Plan, Tuition Aid

  • Union Shop- Article 2

    • The Union will be provided with 2 hours of orientation time.

  • Employee Information - Article 4

    • The CWA will provide additional information to the Union

      1. Rate of Pay

      2. Work location

      3. Work and mobile phone number- if on file

      4. Funding source, SIF/Growth Fund & length of funding (if applicable)

  • Leaves of Absence- Article 16

    • All represented staff who have less than six (6) months of Net Credited Service shall be entitled to four (4) sick days upon the first day of employment. 

  • Parental Leave- Article 11

  • Vacations- Article 15

    • Less than 1 year of Service: One week of vacation during the calendar year in which at least three months (but less than one year) of net credited service are completed.

    • 0-4 years of service: Three weeks’ vacation during the calendar year in which one year of net credited service is completed and during each subsequent year until the year in which five years of net credited service are completed.

    • 5-9 years of service: Four weeks’ vacation during the calendar year in which five years of net credited service are completed and during each subsequent year until the year in which ten years of net credited service are completed.

    • 10+ years of service: Five weeks’ vacation during the calendar year in which ten years of net credited service are completed, and during each subsequent calendar year.

    • Vacation carryover language has been clarified to comply with various state laws but no changes to existing practice of carrying over 3 weeks of vacation per year.

    • Should a Staff Person die while actively employed by CWA, any unused vacation time shall be included in the employee’s final paycheck.

    • TA of Vacation Language.

  • Life Insurance Article 20

    • Removal of Temp staff language, language cleanup.

  • Tuition Aid

    • Courses must be related to work

    • The cost must be reasonable

    • A request for tuition aid must be made at least sixty (60) days in advance of any enrollment deadline.

    • If the employee voluntarily leaves employment within two (2) years of receiving the tuition aid towards a degree program , the employee shall refund CWA the full amount of the tuition aid received within those two (2) years.

    • The tuition aid shall be capped at $35,000 for all bargaining unit employees per fiscal year. Tuition aid shall be considered on a first come, first serve basis, except that, where more than one request has been made and not yet approved, priority shall be given on the basis of (1) allowing an employee to complete an ongoing program of study where a previous course in that program had already been approved and satisfactorily completed, and (2) seniority.

    • One-off employee professional development type courses are not part of the tuition aid program, do not count against the cap, and are provided for at the total discretion of CWA.

  • Work From Home

    • Agreement has been extended but may be ended by either party with 120 day notice

  • Job Preference Article 21

    • Extended to all BU employees

    • Nothing in this Agreement prohibits CWA from re-assigning employees at its discretion from one SIF or Growth fund project to another, provided this does not result in an involuntary relocation.  This may be done in lieu of posting a job.

    • When CWA determines, at its discretion, a job function and geography for a permanent Growth Fund position within the scope of the bargaining unit, the position shall be subject to the processes under this Article, except where the employee is already performing such a job function in such geography.   In such cases, such employees shall fill the permanent Growth Fund position.  If multiple employees are performing the job function in the geography, then the most senior of such employees shall fill the permanent Growth Fund position.

  • Delete SIF/Growth Fund MOA in order to incorporate Campaign Job Titles into contract.

    • SIF/Growth Fund Clean up 

  • Training and Development Committee

    • New MOU

    • Within sixty (60) days following ratification of the contract, the parties shall form a training and career development committee.  The purpose of the committee shall be to work collaboratively to assist in developing and implementing a comprehensive orientation program, opportunities for training and career development, and a mentorship program. There shall be four (4) CWA Staff Union members participating on the committee representing Staff Representatives, District Organizing Coordinators, workplace organizers in campaign titles, and legislative/political organizers in campaign titles.

  • Layoff Article 14

  • Uniform Expense Treatment- Article 18

    • M&I - Increase from $17.50 to $25 dollars on non-overnight meal allowance.

    • Cell phone- Increase to $65 reimbursement if you use your own phone.

    • $55 dollar reimbursement for the internet if you MUST work from home- there is no office for you. You do not receive this if you elect to work from home.

    • Credit card- annual reimbursement up to 95 dollars - must be used for reimbursable expenses

  • Health Insurance

    • No changes cost sharing remains at 1.25% of Salary for Employee Only and 2.00% of Salary for Employee, Spouse or Domestic Partner.

  • Healthcare/Health Services- New Article. Reproductive and Gender Affirming Care Travel Reimbursement

    • CWA will provide up to $4,000 total in reasonable travel expense reimbursement for a covered person described below to travel to the nearest location in order to obtain reproductive or gender-affirming health services if such services are prohibited in the state where the covered person resides. This reimbursement may also be used to cover travel expenses for one support person. Covered persons are any bargaining unit member, spouse or dependent enrolled in CWA’s medical plan.The process for the covered person obtaining and for CWA providing this benefit will be designed at CWA’s discretion, in consultation with the Staff Union, and with the covered person’s privacy protected to the extent practicable.

  • Probationary Period - New Article

    • All new employees will have a 6 month probationary period

  • Side Letter – Dental Implants

    • CWA will add the option of dental implants with a 10% employer copay to its existing dental plan for active employees.

  • Definitions

    • Added to clarify a few areas of the contract.

  • Transportation- Article 19

    • Staff Reps, DOC’s, and represented council will continue be eligible for a staff car.

    • Effective October 1, 2022, the car allowance will increase to $575 per month.

    • Effective October 1, 2023, the car allowance will increase to $600 per month.

    • Effective October 1, 2024, the car allowance will increase to $625 per month.

    • Regular full-time employees, who have not opted for a staff car or are not eligible for one, are entitled to this allowance.

    • As of December 31, 2022, CWA will no longer administer Liberty Mutual automobile insurance payments, including payroll deductions, for employees. So long as Liberty Mutual continues to offer the discount, bargaining unit employees may instead obtain automobile insurance directly from Liberty Mutual at a ten percent (10%) discount by identifying themselves as CWA employees.

    • All bargaining unit employees shall consent to any necessary periodic motor vehicle records check to satisfy CWA’s obligations to its insurance company.

    • Due to current issues with vehicles being out of stock, CWA will be implementing a trial with alternative options for employees to be able to purchase a staff care. Please see Vehicle “Out of Stock” Purchase. Note: This applies only to Staff Rep, DOC, and Represented Counsel job titles.

  • Hyatt Legal Plan

    • Deletion of Legal Plan option. Some limited legal benefits continue to be available from Lifeworks and UnionPlus.

    • Hyatt Legal will be replaced with the following benefits

  • Payment Treatment

    • 0-24 month Steps will be removed for Staff Rep, DOC, and Represented Counsel job titles. Scales will be adjusted accordingly. There are no employees in these steps. This is just language cleanup, since these steps had not previously been used.

  • Duration

    • Effective October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2025






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Bargaining Update #6