Retroactive Payment of April Salary Increases

 Memo

 

TO:                 Executive Board Members and Council Leaders

FROM:           Elizabeth S. Hough, Director of Contract Administration

DATE:           June 11, 2010

RE:                Retroactive Payment of April Salary Increases

We have received confirmation from the Office of the State Comptroller that the retroactive payment of the April 2010 general salary increases (both the 4% across the board salary increase and, for eligible employees, the job rate parity adjustment) will be included in the August 4, 2010 paycheck for the Administrative payroll and the August 12, 2010 paycheck for the Institution payroll.

Emergency appropriation bills which have already been passed by the legislature contain the necessary authorization to make the retroactive payments. OSC is now working on the administrative processing necessary to actually generate the back pay. The Payroll Bulletins which will contain additional information about these payments have not yet been issued. We will forward them to you when they are.

We will closely monitor the retroactive payment of these monies to assure that our members are appropriately paid. The statewide class action grievance regarding the withholding of the 2010 salary increases includes claims which preserve our rights to recover the retroactive monies. This grievance is currently pending at GOER and we will continue to pursue this grievance to assure that all monies owed as a result of the April 2010 salary increase are appropriately paid.

Cc: Field Services Staff

April 2007 Merit Advance Rate

 Memo

 

TO:                 Ken Brynien
                        President

FROM:           Bob Carrothers
                        Director of Contract Administration

RE:                 April 2007 Merit Advance Rate
 

As you are aware, the Merit Advance Program will be implemented on April 1, 2007.  Under this program, eligible PS&T Unit employees G-18 and below can receive base salary adjustments that raise their base salaries to the same level paid to CSEA employees.  The Merit Advance Rate increase will first appear in pay checks dated April 26, 2007 (for the Institution payroll) and May 2, 2007 (for the Administration payroll). Individual eligibility for the Merit Advance is contingent on satisfaction of the following criteria: 

A.                 one complete year at job rate;

B.                 five years of cumulative State service;

C.                 no unsatisfactory  evaluations for three prior years;

D.                 no finding of guilt, settled NOD, or pending NOD during the three years preceding the effective date of the merit advance (excluding NOD’s which are dismissed by an arbitrator or withdrawn by the agency during the period);

E.                  participation in agency-sponsored training during prior three years.

(See, Merit Advance Side Letter, p. 173-74, 2003-2007 PS&T Unit Agreement.).  GOER has issued a jointly negotiated memorandum to all Directors of Human Resources providing additional guidance on the application of these criteria.  A copy is attached.  We have also attached a FAQ which we prepared which should answer most questions about the program. 

As we anticipated, earlier this month OSC generated a list of employees who satisfy the first two criteria. Agencies will then be responsible for deleting employees from that list who fail to satisfy the remaining three criteria.   The GOER memo includes some important clarification regarding how agencies should apply the remaining 3 criteria.  First, only unsatisfactory evaluations result in a disqualification under criteria (c).  If no evaluation was received, the rating is deemed satisfactory.  Second, only NOD’s served after April 1, 2004 may be used to bar eligibility under criteria (d).  Third, agency sponsored training is limited to training at which attendance is a work assignment without charge to accruals.  Such training must also directly support or improve skills required for an employee’s current job assignment. 

Any questions should be directed to Contract Administration, 1 (800) 342-4306 x 223.