Summary of the Tentative Agreement between HPAE 5094 Professionals and Rutgers

You can download a summary of the agreement here.

The signed MOA can be found here.

Click here to read the Rutgers Tuition Remission Policy (60.2.1) – applicable sections: B, C and D.

Click here for contract ratification voting instructions

Our current contract remains the same except for the following modifications:

1. Wages: Range of 7.25% – 9.5% increases throughout the life of the contract. Please note, calculations are based on full time salaries and PH & PS scales.
   1. Fiscal Year 15: Effective upon ratification, $1,160 across the board increase. $870 lump sum retro payment (prorated for part-timers).
   2. Fiscal Year 16: Effective July 1, 2015 – 2% across the board increase.
   3. Fiscal Year 17: Effective July 1, 2016 – 2% across the board increase.
   4. Fiscal Year 18: Effective July 1, 2017 – 2.25% across the board increase.
2. Fiscal Emergencies: In the event that Rutgers attempts to claim a fiscal emergency (using the “subject to” state appropriations language in our contract) and freeze wages, they must first provide advance notice to the union, relevant financial information and the opportunity to renegotiate. If that fails, the union can file for arbitration and a third party (arbitrator) shall decide if Rutgers is indeed unable to pay the wage increases in question.
3. Health Insurance: During the term of the contract, if legislation is passed that increases your health care contribution rates, Rutgers will have to absorb the cost.
4. Seniority: Seniority for employees hired prior to July 1, 2013 will remain their UMDNJ date of hire.
5. Layoff and bumping: In the event of a layoff, you will now also have the option to fill any vacancy for which you are qualified (not just current or previous title) so long as it does not result in a promotion. Bumping is now limited to HPAE titles only, however, no one from another Union can bump you either (e.g., supervisors attempting to come back into HPAE during a layoff).
   We also added some new titles to our “job series” list. If your job is in any of these series you can, upon layoff, bump “down” in the same title with a lower grade (Staff Assistants, Accountants, Budget Analysts, Grants and Contract Analysts, Habilitation Counselors, Nutritionists, Poison Information Specialists, Mental Health Clinicians*, Public Health Representatives*). *same units only
6. Tuition remission: Your dependent children are eligible for tuition remission effective Fall 2015. Click here to read the Rutgers Tuition Remission Policy (60.2.1) – applicable sections: B, C and D.
7. Holidays: You will now have 17 holidays and leave days per year – up from the current fifteen:(8) Holidays, (2) Personal Days, (4) Mandatory Leave Days (see 9 below), and (3) Administrative Leave Days. The new holiday schedule shall exclude Good Friday.
8. Transition to new Holiday schedule: Your current “float holidays” will be changed to Administrative Leave Days. You will have until June 30, 2016 to use them. You will also be given an additional six leave days: (2) Personal Days and (4) Mandatory Leave Days to be used by June 30, 2016. Beginning July 1, 2016, your holiday and leave allotment will be in accordance with the new calendar (see 7).
9. Mandatory Leave Days: In November of each year, you will receive four (4) Mandatory Leave Days. These days are to be used during the “shut-down” period (Christmas to New Years) if your department closes for that period. If it does not, then you may use them when you wish.
10. Alternate work schedules: You can now request a change in your schedule to accommodate taking a three or four credit course during the work day.
11. Grievance and Arbitration: The Union will be able to arbitrate terminations and suspensions of three or more days due to attendance issues. We also agreed to settle an outstanding charge we filed against the University by scheduling one day a month to hear grievances.
12. Pre-termination hearing: Prior to being terminated our members have the right to a meeting where they will be presented with the charges and evidence against them. They may then present any counter evidence/arguments that might change the outcome of the discipline.
13. Work outside of Job Classification: Response time from management for these claims is reduced from 120 to 90 days.
14. Reclassification and In-Grade Salary Adjustments: We now have definitions for these, as well as a defined process with timelines for these situations.
15. Joint bargaining: Side letter acknowledging the Union and University may chose to engage in joint bargaining with other HPAE unions at the University for future contracts.
16. State of Emergency: Your essential vs. non essential status remain the same each year, unless otherwise notified. Staff members working in facilities controlled by the State (e.g. DCF Local Offices) are not required to work if the State closes those offices (due to weather for example) and will not be charged benefit time.
17. Non-hostile work environment: Members should be afforded a working environment characterized by mutual respect and dignity. Verbal harassment is unacceptable, and can be reported to the Office of Employment Equity and/or addressed in a conference with labor relations.
18. Non-discrimination: Updated to include religion, gender identity and expression, pregnancy, physical and mental disability, civil union or domestic partnerships, sexual orientation, genetic information and military or veteran status.
19. Direct Deposit: Rutgers will now change over to exclusive direct deposit for paychecks. Paper payroll checks are no longer an option.
20. Sick Leave: Advancing yourself sick time is no longer an option. We are changing over from UMDNJ Staff Leave Donation program to the Rutgers Compassionate Leave Bank.
21. Daily rate of pay: When systematically feasible, the daily rate of pay shall be based on actual work days in a year.
22. Pay period: The pay period will be changed to Saturday (12:00 am) to Friday (11:59pm). Date TBD.
23. Fiscal Year: We will move to Rutgers’ fiscal year (July 1 – June 30).
24. Attendance Control Policy: This policy is to be eliminated. Certain disciplines may be expunged.
25. Dues and Agency Fee: Process for the University and Union to remunerate each other for mistakes in transmission of Dues or Agency Fee. If you transfer between HPAE bargaining units, your union status will now remain unaffected.
26. Information and data included in dues files: Clarifies information that HPAE is entitled to receive with the dues files Rutgers sends.
27. Housekeeping: There were a number of housekeeping agreements to clean up the contract where needed, including a global name change from UMDNJ to Rutgers.
28. Term of contract:Term of contract: Retroactive to October 1, 2014 and expires June 30, 2018.