Hello APA Members,

I hope your summers are going well and you all are able to take some much-needed time to rest and be with your families and friends. On behalf of the APA Bargaining Team, I wanted to provide an update on contract negotiations.

We continue to meet with Management and present language change proposals. To date, we have presented the following:

1. New language to implement a longevity raise process to address salary compression.
2. Changes to Article III that would add language to job descriptions that include whether positions are on call, essential, require afterhours work, etc.
3. Updated language that personal time would be approved by the area supervisor and no longer requires HR approval, reflecting (mostly) current practice.
4. A new appendix to the contract to include the Remote Work Policy that we negotiated in 2020, thereby make it eligible for the grievance process.
5. Simplify the evaluation process to one annual self-evaluation in November-December.
6. Match meal allowances to the Federal GSA meal and incidentals guidelines.
7. Change the vacation forfeiture language to have one forfeiture date instead of two, as well as a proposal to change the forfeiture to a vacation to sick-time conversion.
8. Request courses at the home university be tuition and fee free.
9. Request compensatory time when working “peak periods”.
10. Requested an increase in funding for the Health and Welfare Fund to be able to purchase better dental and vision plans.
11. A new appendix to request a yearly stipend for Athletic trainers to purchase protective apparel and clothing.
12. A change to the provisional period to be less than 4 years.

We continue to work on other language proposals. Management has submitted a few proposals, some of which we have responded with counter proposals. We are continually frustrated that Management has not presented financial parameters yet and have not responded to any of our proposals with financial implications, despite repeated requests. They claim they are waiting to see all our financial proposals before presenting the financial parameters, so we are pushing forward with putting all new proposals on the table prior to our sixth meeting, which was agreed would be the last meeting where new proposals could be submitted.

Thank you for all your support and please reach out to your chapter president if you have any questions.

In solidarity,
-Seth Bean, APA State-wide President.