Message from the President

There are several items of good news concerning our most recently negotiated contract for the period January 1, 2007 – December 31, 2007. It was necessary for Governor Deval Patrick to resubmit a supplemental budget containing our monies and at this point it has passed both branches of the Legislature and was signed into law by the Governor.

The first item to occur will be a rate increase of 3% for all APA members in the next payment period on March 9, 2007. This will be provided to all members who were rated competent or better on their evaluation that was completed June 30, 2006.

The second item will be a retroactive payment to January 1, 2007 (based on the 3% increase) that will be provided in the March 23, 2007 payment period. In addition the Governor’s supplemental budget contained corrective language to provide a retro payment to APA retired members employed during the period July 1, 2001 – June 30, 2002. This was the last piece to make our members whole for the contract of 2001-2004 that former Governor Romney had vetoed for our retired members.

The remaining item is also available at this time in the form of professional development monies. Our 2007 contract provides for professional development monies based on one-half percent of the payroll of members employed on January 1, 2007. The amount of $276 is available now until December 31, 2007 and may be accessed by utilizing either Appendix M or Appendix E at the back of the January 2005 – December 2006 contract book.

Appendix M allows our members to apply to Human Resources where monies will be issued to the member as a payroll check, minus state and federal taxes. Appendix E can be used as reimbursement for professional development expenditures and is submitted to the appropriate vice president.

Upon the payment of the current contract in the March 2007 payment periods, the availability of professional development, and the long awaited retro payment to our retirees, our APA membership has been paid up to date for all current and formerly unfunded contracts. A big thank you is owed to the persistence and determination of the APA State Executive Board working with the MTA staff and lobbyists to bring resolution to our contracts. We have endured several anti-union, anti-worker Governors and a reticent Legislature and yet we have prevailed. Our thanks to the many members who helped our leadership team and for your patience as we worked on these issues. We look forward to future negotiation sessions with a more labor friendly administration.

David A. Morwick
APA State President