Hi all,
Exciting news — the University of Maine System Board of Trustees approved the new 2024-2027 UMPSA Contract at its November 17-18 meeting at the University of Maine.
The vote among your fellow UMPSA union members to ratify the Contract was 98% Yes, 2% No, with 72% of all eligible UMPSA members voting.
The negotiated terms of the three-year contract take effect immediately. The negotiated one-time, lump sum payment of $1,000 (minus taxes) will appear in your November paycheck. Your first-year salary increase of 3.5%, paid retroactively to July 1, 2024, will appear in your December paycheck.
Thank you to UMPSA union members who voted to ratify the contract, those who have been steadfast union members, and those who recently joined us.
A special thank you to your UMPSA Negotiating Team — folks who, over many months, worked countless lunch hours, evenings, weekends, and vacation days to plan, discuss, and negotiate contract items on your behalf. It was a remarkable effort and your Team was relentless in their advocacy for you and your family: Neil Greenberg – UMaine, Tom Donaghue – UMF, Sara Abronze – USM, Emily Meier, MEA, Jerry Brokos – USM-Portland, Ariel Cassista – UMA, Chris Fox – USM-Lewiston, Frear Hook – UMA, Kate McCarty – UMaine Cooperative Extension, Brian Pomelow – USM-Gorham.
We will publish the new 2024-2027 Contract (Collective Bargaining Agreement) on the UMPSA website as soon as the clean, final version is received. We’ll let you know when it goes live on the site and send you the link.
Below is a summary of the new contract:
- This is a 3-year contract rather than our typical 2-year contract.
- Terms of the agreement take effect immediately and the contract expires June 30, 2027.
Wages & Compensation:
- Year 1: 3.5% increase in salary paid retroactively to July 1, 2024, + a one-time, lump sum payment of $1,000 that will not be added to your base salary
- Year 2: 4.0% increase in salary
- Year 3: 4.0% increase in salary
These represent the largest annual increases we’ve ever won and the biggest length-of-contract increase (11.5%) we’ve ever won. It is also the largest lump sum payment we’ve ever won.
Probationary Period
Supervisors may now only extend a member’s probationary period due to extensive absences during an employee’s first six months OR documented workplace concerns with an active Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) in place.
Bereavement Leave
Unit members will now be able to take their guaranteed five days of bereavement for the loss of a pregnancy (miscarriage).
Front-Loading Disability Leave (i.e. sick leave)
New employees will now have their first 6 months of disability leave front-loaded so they may use it from their initial employment date, rather than having to wait for accrual.
Dependent Tuition Waiver
Increase in the Dependent Tuition Waiver to 65% beginning in the Spring 2025 Semester.
Retirement Vesting Period
Unit members not yet vested and those hired after January 1, 2025, will vest into their retirement at 20% per year over five years, as opposed to vesting 100% in year 5.
Mileage Reimbursement
For unit members traveling on university business, the mileage reimbursement rate will increase to the Federal rate of .67 per mile effective July 1, 2025.
Essential Employees
There will now be a rubric for determining which unit members may be deemed “essential.”
Soft Money Appointment (financial assistance)
Our new contract will require the UMS to budget $135,000 to provide financial assistance for soft-money appointment layoffs – an increase of $45,000.
Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave Law
UMPSA and UMS agreed to reopen negotiations around the new Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave benefit upon the State’s final adoption of the rules and the approval of the state budget. (This has not yet happened at the State level.)
Work Week/Work Schedule (incl. Comp Time & Non-Exempt)
UMPSA affirmed that unit members who make below the FLSA salary threshold will receive compensatory time for any hours worked over 40. Currently, the FLSA exempt rate is for employees earning $43,888 or less per year. Starting January 1, 2025 it increases to $58,656.
UMPSA placed guardrails on how long unit members will work beyond the standard 40-hour work week due to seasonal demand.
It also restricts the length of time a unit member will perform job duties of an employee whose position has gone unfilled for 90 days or not replaced at all – providing compensation for the additional work, removal of other work to take on the additional workload, or comp time for the additional work if the employee is under the FLSA salary threshold.
Professional Rights – Workplace Harassment and Intimidation
UMPSA and UMS agreed to create a joint task force to craft better language surrounding Article 11 B which guarantees unit members the right to a workplace free of harassment and intimidation.
Remote Work
While the Remote Work policy has not changed (the UMS agrees employees are entitled to apply for remote work and there are specific procedures on how this is done) we made it easier for employees and supervisors to find and refer to by giving it its own Article [Article 37].
Thank you again to UMPSA union members who voted for the new contract.
In Solidarity,
Neil Greenberg, Co-Chief Negotiator, UMPSA President
Tom Donaghue, Co-Chief Negotiator, UMPSA Vice President
Sara Abronze, Negotiation Secretary
Emily Meier, MEA Uniserv Director