MSU-Bozeman Classified Employees Personnel Advisory Committee Minutes

November 18, 1998

• Present:   Diane Allen, Susan Alt, Carol Bittinger, Donna Gollehon, Patty Gunderson, Darcy Halpin, Dianne Kramarich, Jenny Knickerbocker, Helen McFaul, Nancy Topel, Sharon Townsend, and Dawn Watkins.
  

• Absent:   Jill Allison, Bluette Phillips, Pete Boharski, Kathy Griffith, Lloyd Hansen, Connie Hupka, Roberta Kerr, Sharon McIlhatan, Joe Miller, and Larry Miller
  

I.  Old Business

• Last month's minutes were approved.
  

• Carol said she talked to Ed Collins about letting people know when there will be a blocked off area for guest parking and he was aware that it was a problem but since then more parking lots have opened up and is a moot point now.
  

• Next meeting Jerry Coffey is coming to talk about the current plan and give some facts on the benefits.
  

II.  Cathy Conover was our guest speaker today. She is MSU's lobbyist and works with the Commissioner's Office in Helena. She lobbies for the univ. interests, goes to committee hearings, communicates information back to MSU, etc. Some of the things she is working on is the 1). Veterans Preference law. They are studying this legislation in regard to point factoring, asking others for input and looking at the draft for the pros and cons. 2). Pay Bill (last time was HB13) for classified pay. 3). The appropriation bill (last time was HB2) 4. And Long Range Planning bill which is construction, maintenance and renovating of buildings. The funding is being looked at for this bill. For this bill they will ask the univ for a wish list of priority building requests. MSU requests are #1. Maintenance of buildings at Northern #2. Maintenance of buildings at Billings #3. Renovating the Renne Library at MSU is further down the list. The MSU renovation will be approx 7 million dollars and will be bond funded. The other two are cash requests. Someone asked about the inside of the library i.e. books and periodicals and Cathy said that is a separate issue but they are hoping for technology funding for those things. Then Cathy talked about the pay plan. Two presidents, George Dennison and Mike Malone, have sent a letter to the governor asking them to do more for classified employees. The current proposal by the gov. of 1-3% has been turned down by the union. This letter talked about how the average pay increase is only 2.5%, many people have 2nd jobs, health ins. has caused MORE out of pocket increases, recruitment and retention problems and how morale is so low. ( Addendum: Deb Chard asked President Malone to write this letter -- it wasn't his idea as we were led to believe at the meeting .) Patty Gunderson said the current Governor's proposal was unacceptable to MPEA and they are going to take the cause to legislature. A question: What if MPEA settles for the 1-3%. How could we handle breaking away from the BOR and legislature and make univ sys versus union. It would be quite an issue. Also brought up: Why can't we go back to the across-the-board raises? This would make morale better. This has been expressed to President Malone. Cathy says this would be the most palatable to employees. Cathy wants to work closely with the MPEA lobbyist, Tom Schneider . The Dept of Admin (Helena) has a negotiation team that meets with the unions in the fall before the legislative session and the plan is to reach an agreement BEFORE the legistive session. But it didn't happen this time.

III.  Standing Committe Reports

• Affirmative Action - Darcy Halpin: No report.
  
• Benefits Committee - Pete Boharski, Patty Gunderson, Joe Miller: Patty Gunderson said they formed a sub-committee to look at merging with the state plan.
  
• Employee Wellness - Diane Allen: No report
  
• Long Range Planning Committee - Cec Mann: No report
  
• President's Committee on Strategic Planning - Roz Wortman: No report
  
• Provost's Calendar Committee - Helen McFaul: No report.
  
• Traffic Appeals - Jill Allison, Bluette Phillips: Committee meets weekly. Nothing special to report for this past month.
  
• University Planning Board - Sheron McIlhattan: No report
  

IV.  New Business

• Jerry Coffey will be at next meeting at 10:00 on December 9th in the Bradley Conference Room. Business meeting at 9:00.
  

• Future meetings from Jan - May will be in the President's Conf room.
  

• A REMINDER -- Committee reps, please send in a typed report to Bluette or Carol if there is one.
  

• The Governance Council meeting is today at 4 pm and Carol will go and report next meeting.
  

• Susan Alt presented the governor's pay proposal budget sheet. This is the one that MPEA rejected.
  

• Donna Gollehon will put together a list of politicians so we know who to contact.
  

• Jenny K. is working on a replacement for Roz Wortman (CEPAC).
  

• Next CEPAC meeting is December 9 in the Bradley Conference Room in Wilson Hall.
  

Darcy Halpin -- sitting in for Bluette Phillips