Note: the information below covers the January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2013 MSU/Coalition Health Care Agreement.
In the early months of 2010, the members of the individual unions in the Coalition of Labor Organizations at MSU ratified an agreement that covers health care and base wages for the period of January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2013.
Each of the nine unions affected by our agreement has a different contract cycle and each will get their raises at a different time.
For CTs, the agreement determines our general wage increase from April 2011 through April 2014 as follows:
April 1, 2011, 0%
April 1, 2012, 1% in a lump sum and 1% to the base
April 1, 2013, 2% to the base
April 1, 2014, 2% to the base
(CTs who have not reached the maximum of their pay grades will continue to receive an additional wage progression of 3% per year under our current contract.)
(Two MSU unions, the Graduate Employees Union and the Union of Non-Tenured Faculty are not covered under this agreement. GEU has a separate health care plan with the University and UNTF is on the faculty plan.)
The unions were able to achieve this agreement by agreeing to cut 10% out of health care spending up front and cap yearly increases at 5%.
We reached the 10% reduction through changes in the plan and one of the insurance providers. Recognizing the hardship these changes can mean for members, the CLO kept the increased costs to employees as low as possible.
If the University’s spend on health care rises over 5% for the members of unions covered by the agreement, the excess could be paid as premiums deducted from our paychecks in the following year. Keep in mind that if it appears that increases will top 5% in a given year, the Coalition can work during the term of the agreement to offset premiums by making changes in plan design.