COGS News
March 2003
Contract Settlement!
On February 19, COGS members voted to ratify a new two-year contract with the State of Iowa Board of Regents and the University of Iowa.
For the first time, partial tuition scholarships will be guaranteed to all graduate employees covered by the contract. In recent years, our net compensation has steadily decreased due to drastic tuition increases, so our primary goal entering these negotiations was to reverse that trend while maintaining salary equities among members of our bargaining unit. We accomplished that goal, and given the current economic climate, is an exceptional achievement! Here is a brief sketch of the key economic components of the new contract:
Salaries will remain at current levels for 2003-2004, and will increase by 1% for 2004-2005. In addition, graduate employees with at least 25% appointments, and enrolled for 9 semester hours, will receive a tuition scholarship of $375 per semester, not including summer. Tuition scholarships for those enrolled in fewer semester hours will be pro-rated accordingly. In the second year of the contract, those benefits will increase to $750 per semester. Under this agreement, no member of our bargaining unit will experience a reduction of his or her net compensation, with the exception of those employees paying the new post-comp tuition, effective Fall 2003 (assuming tuition climbs at the same rate it did this year).
While other university employees are experiencing a deterioration of their health insurance packages, ours will remain virtually unchanged. Out-of-pocket maximums will increase from $1,000 to $1,100 for single participants and from $1,500 to $1,700 for families; drug card maximums will move from $1,000 to $1,100 and $1,700 respectively. A full explanation of the contract changes is available at www.cogs.org/contractsettlement.htm.
The terms of this agreement, particularly the tuition benefit package, are the result of several years of effort on the part of COGS members, past bargaining committees, and UE Field Organizer, Ryan Downing. The Bargaining and Grievance Committee would like to thank all of those who supported these negotiations.
-- Bargaining & Grievance Committee: Brad Casucci, Vickie Clarke, Kevin Esch, Dana Quartana, Lise VanderVoort
Celebrate COGS Birthday and the New Contract – Give the Gift of New Members!
Our union has a lot to celebrate these days! Our new contract features the best economic package ever, including tuition waivers. We were able to fight off major concessions on health care. And in April we’ll have our annual COGS Birthday Party, COGSAPALOOZA.
That means there are hundreds and hundreds of graduate employees out there just waiting for YOU to tell them all about the contract, help them join the union, and invite them to the party! Lisa Angellela and I got three new dues cards signed the week after we ratified the new contract – can you get one too? All you have to do is ask someone if they’ve had a chance to join the union. And once they’re in, invite them to COGSAPALOOZA for a nutty, rockin’ good time!
-- Mike Evces, Vice President for Organizing
COGS Delegates Return from District Council
Several COGS delegates recently returned from the February District Council in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. While COGS members and the representatives of UE Local 893 (Iowa’s statewide local) reported recent successes during contract negotiations, many brothers and sisters throughout the district reported challenges in contract negotiations. The primary sticking point for many other locals are negotiations over healthcare, with members fighting just to keep the status quo in their contracts.
The other significant discussion at the District Council involved further explanation, questioning, and debate over the proposed switch to a graduated per capita system. In the proposed changes, monthly per capita dues will be gradually adjusted so that, by 2009, per capita dues should be more in line with hourly wages and include an escalator function to keep per capita rising along with rising wages. Further discussions of this proposed switch, and the position of our local on that proposal, will be held throughout this spring and summer. A vote on the proposal will be held at the upcoming UE National Convention in September 2003 in Pittsburgh, PA.
COGS Members Converse with State Representatives at UE Political Action Day
On February 18, 2003 three COGS delegates (Kate Cady, Nathan Wilson, and Leslie Hahner) met with legislators for the annual UE Political Action Day at the Iowa State Legislature in Des Moines. On UE’s Political Action Day, delegates from Iowa UE locals travel to Des Moines to speak with legislators and make the union voice heard.
There were over 100 representatives from UE locals throughout Iowa in attendance. Our COGS representatives talked briefly with Dick Myers, Mary Mascher, Robert Dvorsky, and other local politicians to voice our concerns about COGS issues, especially concerns regarding the fate of education funding in the upcoming state budget.
All of these legislators seemed very interested in speaking with us about our affairs including the budget, bargaining, tuition, wages, and benefits. While COGS reps were unable to divulge bargaining information, the politicians seemed quite supportive of COGS bargaining initiatives. Overall, the visit was a success!
--Leslie Hahner, Political Action Chair
