IFO Reaches Tentative Agreement with MinnState for '19-'21 Contract

On behalf of the IFO Negotiations Team, we are pleased to announce that the IFO has reached a tentative settlement for the 2019-2021 IFO/MinnState contract after months of intense negotiations. The settlement provides all faculty a pay increase in both years, with larger percent pay increases for faculty in adjunct and community faculty appointments, contains many contract language improvements, and provides increases in professional improvement funds, as well as funding for the salary adjustments recommended by the joint IFO MinnState Salary Review Committee for the most recent salary equity study.

Please review the settlement highlights listed below.

Contract Settlement Highlights:

• Salary Increases for Faculty in Tenured, Probationary, and Fixed Term Appointments

  • 1.9 % increase in FY20

  • 2.0 % increase in FY21

• Salary Increases for Faculty in Adjunct and Community Faculty Appointments

  • 2.0 % in FY20 ($1,514/credit)

  • 3.5 % in FY21 ($1,567/credit)

• Beginning in FY21, there will be a single salary schedule for all ranks, Instructor through Professor.

• Funding for salary equity adjustments recommended by the joint IFO and MinnState Salary Review Committee based on the results of the 2016 salary study, estimated at $923,000.

• Professional Study and Travel (Article 19 B) Funds continued in FY20 and FY21 at the current level of $1,450 per each full-time equivalent faculty member.

• Beginning in FY21, reimbursement rates for meals and lodging expenses incurred for Professional Study and Travel will be reimbursed at higher rates set by the US General Services Administration (GSA) for travel within the US and by the Department of Defense for travel outside the US.

• Increase in Professional Improvement Funds available to Community Faculty in FY21 (from $32,500 to $57,800) and Community Faculty will be eligible to receive funds any time in the fiscal year in which they have an assignment of more than three credits or more than one course in an academic year.

• Increase in Professional Improvement Funds available to Faculty in Adjunct appointments in FY21 (from $59,500 to $70,000), and Adjunct Faculty will be eligible to receive funds any time in the fiscal year in which they have an assignment of more than three credits or more than one course in an academic year.

• Where orientation is provided, faculty in Adjunct and Community Faculty appointments may be compensated to attend, with the amount of the compensation to be determined after meeting and conferring with the local association.

• Faculty in Adjunct and Community Faculty appointments who have taught 10 semesters will be assigned the rank of Senior Adjunct Faculty and Senior Community Faculty.

• Increase in Professional Improvement Funds (Article 19 A) in FY21 (from $520,000 to $600,000) for faculty in tenured, probationary and fixed term appointments.

• Appendix D is amended to include same and opposite-sex relationships in the definition of Domestic Partners, and the definition of immediate family is expanded to include domestic partners for purposes of sick and bereavement leave.

• Tuition waiver benefits are expanded to include eligibility for a faculty member’s domestic partner.

• Five additional days of bereavement leave will be granted in cases where extended travel time is required, and additional extensions may be granted for other extenuating circumstances.

• Compensation for Assessment of Prior Learning increases in FY21 to $50 per credit.

• Full year sabbatical leave may be taken starting in spring semester and continuing through the following fall semester.

• Faculty will be compensated for servicing students during a teach-out for program suspensions or closures.

• When renewed, head coaches will receive a minimum athletic appointment of three years (with the option of renewal for two years permitted only once during a coach’s employment), and their nine-month base salary will not be reduced.

• Faculty who request to transfer from one state university to a vacant position at another state university will no longer have their applications reviewed first before other applications for the vacancy are reviewed.

• Universities may adjust the base salary of a current probationary or tenured faculty member who provides proof of an offer of prospective employment at another accredited four-year college or university outside of the MinnState system at a higher salary, up to six steps.

• Probationary periods will automatically be extended by one year for the birth or adoption of a child and for service as a chairperson for two years during a faculty member’s probation, with the option for a faculty member to decline the extension.

• The first partial year of service for probationary faculty who begin employment midway through an academic year will no longer count towards the five-year probationary period, giving the probationary faculty member five full years to achieve tenure.

• Language articulating the PDP and PDR process makes it clear that Dean’s comments go back to the faculty member and not to chairpersons, and comments are kept in a faculty member’s personnel file.

Also included in the settlement are the plan changes to health, dental, and short-term disability insurance previously negotiated through Labor-Management Coalition on Health Insurance and follow-up negotiations at the AFSCME bargaining table. Insurance changes will include improvements in the Dental plan and an increase in Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage. Please click here for more information on the health insurance changes.

In this round, your negotiations team was able to achieve many delegate assembly resolutions that will improve working conditions, while at the same time, they were successful in fending off numerous employer proposals to increase management control and eliminate well-established benefits and protections for all faculty, including library and media faculty, counselors, coaches and faculty in adjunct and community faculty appointments. Please thank your campus negotiator for their tireless effort and strong advocacy.

More detailed information on the contract settlement and the timeline for a vote on the contract will be sent in the coming weeks. As a reminder, only IFO members can vote on contract ratification. If you are not a member, you may join here. If you are unsure of your membership status, please click here.

If you have any questions, please contact your campus negotiator.

Contract Implementation Information: Back Pay, Health, and Dental Benefits

As you know, the IFO contract has been passed by Legislature and is in the process of being implemented. Details of back pay and health and dental benefit changes are listed below. 

HEALTH AND DENTAL BENEFITS:
Health
The new $0 (down from $10) copayment for online care and convenience clinics will go into effect on May 1, 2018. You will be receiving new member cards from your medical carrier in the coming weeks. On May 1, you may begin using these resources at no out-of-pocket cost. 
 
Dental
Dental changes will take effect on January 1, 2019. They include an expanded benefit set and increased premium. Due to the higher premium, employees will be offered a new opportunity to add or drop coverage, which will be during Open Enrollment for 2019, happening this fall.
 
For more information on benefit implementation please visit MMB’s website.
 
BACK PAY:
The IFO contract back pay is being processed during the pay period that began April 4, 2018 and ends April 17 (April 27 paycheck). If you plan to make a change to your MinnState Tax-Sheltered Annuity (403b) Plan and/or the State’s Deferred Compensation (457), you will need to enter the change so that it is effective during this pay period. Please see the instructions attached. 
 
Tuesday, April 17 is the deadline to make Self-Service entries to tax shelter all or a portion of your back pay. The Self-Service is generally available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Entries need to be entered by April 17 to be effective the payroll period ending that day (paycheck 4/27/2018). 
 
Access your pay distribution and back pay information
To determine the amount of gross back pay you are scheduled to receive you can access your individual Employee Pay Details report in the Time & Leave Reporting Application (e-Timesheet), using your Star ID and password to log in. Once logged in, use the following instructions to run a report:

• Select Employee Pay Details from the Time and Leave Reporting toolbar. 
• You will see Pay Details Report and State Self Service in the drop-down displayed.  To view your pay details, select Pay Details Report. 
• The Report Setup screen displays. Select the Fiscal Year for which you would like to view pay details for 2018.
• Select “no” for the send report to email question.
• Click Create Report to run the report.  

Back pay information will be available beginning on April 10, but will only be an estimate. It is advised that faculty wait until April 16 to review their details to allow time for HR/Service Centers to verify the amounts.
 
If you have any questions, please contact IFO Legal/Labor & Equity Director Pat Arseneault.