ITEM NO. 122-104-R0104

 

TO:������������ Board of Regents

 

FROM:������� Sue Hill, Director

������������������ Labor Relations and Personnel

 

RE:������������� Approval of Tentative Agreement with Montana Nurses Association

 

DATE:�������� January 15-16, 2004


Attached is a summary of the tentative agreement with the Montana Nurses Association (MNA).� MNA represents the registered nurses working in student health services at Montana State University-Bozeman.� The summary only shows the changes to the prior agreement.� The entire agreement can be viewed on line at http://mus.edu/hr/cba/collbarg.asp.

 

Section 5.8, Insurance Coverage, was revised to include the increase in the employer contribution towards group health insurance as prescribed by state law.� The provision in the prior agreement that provides for four months of continued health insurance premium during a workers� compensation leave of absence was clarified.� Employees employed less than two years are eligible to receive this benefit once in a two-year period.� Employees who have been employed for four or more years are eligible to receive the benefit twice in a two-year period.� Sections 6.7 and 9.1 were modified to reflect the requirement under federal law that seniority continues to accrue indefinitely during a military leave of absence.� The tentative agreement also adopts the Regents� policy on dependent tuition waivers.

 

The salary package includes a .5% achievement pay increase on June 30th of each year.� In addition, all employees are eligible for a 25 cent per hour increase on January 1, 2005.� The minimum salary for a Registered Nurse was set at $16.08.

 

The bargaining unit has already voted to ratify the tentative agreement.� I recommend the Regents approve the tentative agreement with MNA.