Executive Board Meeting
Friday, August 17, 2018, 10:00am
Hammond Building, Room 214, Fitchburg State University

Attendance: Sherry Horeanopoulos (APA President, FITCHBURG SU President), Charlie Cianfarini (APA Vice President), Mark Powers (FRAMINGHAM SU President), Aaron Childs (APA Membership), Mike Storey (BRIDGEWATER SU, President), Kathi Bradford (APA Secretary), Susan McNeil (MASS ART President), Seth Bean (MCLA SU President), Alan Jackson (WORCESTER SU President), Mike Pelletier (SALEM SU President),

Absent: Brian Cahillane (WESTFIELD SU President), Jim Murphy (APA Treasurer), Edward Vacha (MMA President), Katie Durso (MTA field rep)

Guests: Brian Helman, (member, SALEM), Carleigh Gordon (Colonial Life)

I. Call to Order ‐ 10:11am

II. Approval of Minutes of June 15, 2018

• MOTION to approve by Mike S, second by AJ. 7‐0‐0 PASSED by members present.

III. President’s Report ‐ Sherry

• Election results
  • Incumbents elected
• TERRIBLE data from MTA re: membership
• Introductions:
  • Seth Bean – New MCLA President
  • Susan McNeil – New Mass Art Presidnet
  • Brian Cahillane – New Westfield State President
• Presentation on Colonial Life Insurance (whenever Carleigh Gordon arrives)

MOTION TO SUSPEND BUSINESS for guest speaker, Carli from Colonial Life made by Charlie, 2nd by Susan. PASSED 9‐0‐0.

Carleigh Gordon presented packet of information to us. We were first to bring benefits to worksite. Before age 50 can sign‐up for $150,000 without exam. Short term disability you have now, starts after 30 days. Our product can start 0 days after accident or 7 days with sickness. Maternity benefit says 2 weeks now. Our benefit pays 6 weeks or 8 weeks depending on delivery. Critical illness, you currently receive $50,000. Colonial gives $75,000. (Three time payout). Two products not there. Medical bridge insurance. $100‐$200 payout, no deductible. State has $500 deductible. Accident plan is not there. Unforeseen incident/accident, we will pay you. This covers deductibles etc. You can have this product even if you do not work for the state. They have dental. . it is a good supplemental policy right now. Not currently part of MTA benefits. She contacts our HR offices individually. Westfield State is already interested. Basically, requesting support of this program to help them talk with our members. Sign up would come through their company. Only asking for endorsement. Requested information about costs. Carleigh will email Sherry.

MOTION TO RESUME BUSINESS BY CHARLIE, 2nd Susan, PASSED 9‐0‐0

• HELC report – no meetings July and August. Will meet in September
  • AFSCME and some UMass unions still negotiating
  • Changes in both UMass and MCCC leadership
  • Tom Estabrook will attend the September Board Meeting – District H MTA
  • Board Rep
  • Concern – Board voted to restore funding for the database support to APA, MSCA, MCCC for this fiscal year and Tom voted against doing so. When asked why – he cited the Meeting vote to save dollars in view of Janus, but then voted to increase the funding.
• Orientation for new board members
  • Conduct of the meetings
    • Loose Roberts Rules/Strict RR when things get chaotic
    • Provide written Institutional Issues in advance of the meeting if they are to be discussed
    • Institutional issues discussed at meetings do not appear in public minutes
      • Discussion is designed to help local Presidents strategize ways to handle issues (contractually)
      • SS accounts used for confidentiality. Please send confidential information to this location. Institutional issues should also be sent here.
  • Standing Committee membership – chairmanship – Check bylaws for new committees. (Negotiating Team, Committee on Professional Development, Budget and Finance Committee, Nominations and Elections Committee, Working Committee for Employee Relations.) Please send Sherry an email if interested in serving on a committee.
  • Attendance at monthly meetings – Generally at 10:00 (until 1:30 – 2:00)
    • Usually at Auburn MTA Office or Worcester EAW
    • Occasional Meetings at campuses
    • December at Publick House – will discuss next month invite membership coordinators
    • June at Maritime (invite Membership Coordinators)
    • Annual Meeting in November – at selected campus (Bridgewater, November 16th 2018)
    • Send a rep if you cannot attend – rules around attending special events if not a consistent monthly meeting attendee. If you send an elected officer of your campus, they can vote on your behalf. If they are not elected, they cannot vote.
  • Expense reports to Jim monthly by Tuesday noon after monthly meeting
  • Use your local chapter funds!
  • Attempting to build an APA guidebook
  • Please send local Bylaws to Kathi
  • Description of your duties and responsibilities
  • Computer for APA business – treated like a stipend
  • Negotiations for 2021‐23 Agreement will begin late 2019
• Agency fee update – Janus decision was in favor of Janus – no requirement to join Union.
• Members wishing to end union membership must give 60 days written notice to both HR departments and the Local Union President
• Committees
• Summer MTA conference update from Charlie.
  • We sent Charlie and Seth. MTA passed out some information regarding elements of DCG campaigns. Most of the meeting was about organizing and going on the offense to gain membership. Talked about history, possible MA higher ed crisis, etc. (Charlie will scan pages to everyone.) Concerned that Higher Ed day has become about MTA and not Higher Ed.
• NEA conference update by Mark.
  • Held in Minneapolis. Like statewide meeting only bigger and more like a mini‐democratic convention. States meet every morning. Business items range from basic issues to proposing censorship of the US president. Discussion about charter schools. Lots of states present requests for items for their states. Very interesting process to be a part of.
  • Kathi requests that we bring the MTA annual and the NEA up for discussion at the annual meeting to increase participation.

IV. Treasurer’s Report ‐ Jim

• Payroll due on Tuesday, August 28, by 12:00 pm to Jim Murphy
• Please remember to date your expenses, indicate reason for mileage reimbursement, (ie. monthly board meeting) and where you began and ended your travel, 2 cities are required, (ie. Whitman/Auburn), tolls and number of miles round trip.

V. Membership and Data – Aaron

• APA members – 1414 up 6 from June report
• Bargaining Unit Members (no longer agency fee members) 103 down 3 from June. (June 1st we stopped with agency fees). Agency fee members no longer exist. They can join the union if they choose.
• Aaron will send out lists to all presidents for a mass import of data with correct emails using university emails.
• Note: From Charlie. . .we will not be receiving the MTA calendar per the vote at the annual meeting.

VI. Health and Welfare Report – AJ

• AJ elected to co‐chair representing labor on HELC. Congratulations!
• Meetings are usually 2nd Friday of the month, moving to every other month.
• Next meeting in Shrewsbury.
• Items coming up:
  • Website needs updating.
  • What are our benefits? Hard to read, will be updated. One page benefit info.
  • APP with Met Life with price comparison on dentists nearby. Will not cut into Met Life business. Recommend adding the app to our APA website.
  • Staying with Met Life. Still the best for our funds.

VII. Committee Reports

VIII. Old/New Business

• Contract issues/concerns
  • Sherry spoke with Vincent Pedone by phone and then conversed with Michael Murray via email. On Wednesday, August 8, Commissioner Santiago signed off on the Memorandum of Agreement and sent an accompanying letter to Governor Baker, approving the changes to the APA Agreement. Michael Murray was on vacation last week, so he didn’t send her that update ‐ hence the delay in letting you know this news:
  • The letter requests that the Governor “approve and submit to the General Court, an appropriation of $5,260,800.00 to fund the incremental costs of the recently ratified collective bargaining agreements between the Board of Higher Education and the State Universities’ Association of Professional Administrators”
  • As explained to her by Michael Murray ‐ the contract has gone to Governor Baker. He will approve it and send to the Legislature. (I’m trying to find out if that step has been done.) The funding was already appropriated, by the Legislature under a labor contract line item for all state contracts as part of the supplemental budget filed at the end of July. (We did not previously know this.) The APA contract, therefore, does not need an additional appropriation vote ‐ it will be paid out of the monies/reserve already voted on in July. Michael says the release will take some time, as there is a lag between the budget approval and when funds are actually available. We do not have a firm date to share with members. At least it doesn’t require a new Supplemental! As this is a completely new process for contract funding, we will see how it pans out ‐ stay tuned.
  • Additional Personal Days have been added to SSTA for Fitchburg State, Westfield State, Salem State, MCLA. This has also been brought to the attention of Michael Murray. Currently, all campuses have most, a few campuses have some folks that have not received them.
  • Item of concern: I heard that meetings had been set up with HR Directors, Jim Cox and Vincent Pedone to discuss evaluation and flexible scheduling. I asked to be included (per the MOA) and was first told to come observe, but then told not to. Sherry indicated that we are to be included per the MOA. Argument was that we already had the opportunity to speak (in order to vote) to our members. We do not want them to explain the information without us present so we can be there to hear what is being said. We suspect meeting is next Tuesday with their lawyers. Sherry and CJ will be on top of this. Lots of issues of concern about this process and plan.
  • Sherry is investigating whether it is in the Governor’s office or has been already signed and sent elsewhere. More to come. If with Governor, we can start a campaign.
  • Sherry indicated that this information can be shared. (Email from Sherry on 8/14 at 8:06pm)
• Web manager update – Reviewed websites submitted by candidates.
  • MOTION to hire Liz Novak for the web manager position by Mike S. Second by Mike P. 7‐0‐2 PASSED (Sherry will contact Liz.) Liz will be notifying us when items are due. Kathi will submit monthly appropriate minutes for website.
• List Serv options
  • What do we want to do with this?
  • Discussion about communication with members, updates to website and our relationship with MTA.
  • Will bring this to the September meeting under new business.
• Parking issues at Salem presented by Brian Helman, GUEST
  • Brian shared the concerns about a proposed “fee” that may be assessed to all employees for parking.
  • Questioned why there is no parking committee on their campus. Sherry recommends cease and desist.
  • Told we can park where there are spaces but, we have a gated area that we cannot park in.

MOTION TO go to executive session by Mark, second by AJ. PASSED 9‐0‐0

IX. Institutional Issues

X. MOTION to come out of executive session by Mark, second by Susan. 9‐0‐0 PASSED

XI. Announcements

– Sherry shared edited edition of contract for our review. Please make changes and send to Sherry.

XII. Adjournment

– MOTION TO ADJOURN at 3:23 by Mark, 2nd by AJ PASSED 9‐0‐0

Next Meeting: September 21, 2018. 10:00am, Location TBA