The PEF Contract Team, led by Contract Chair Darlene Williams with Chief Negotiator Mark Richard and Contract Administration staff, met again with representatives from the state’s Office of Employee Relations on Jan. 10, 2023.
PEF made detailed presentations on five proposals related to new and existing articles in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Many of the proposals focused on ways to improve the recruitment and retention of the state workforce, as well as benefits the union feels will keep current members of the Professional, Scientific and Technical unit on the job for years to come.
In addition, PEF proposed eliminating important sunsets in the current contract that apply to valuable benefits like tuition reimbursement and the Productivity Enhancement Program (PEP). The PEP proposal also sought improvements and expansion of the program.
The State and PEF agreed to meet again on Feb. 7 and 8 and also have meetings scheduled in March, April and May.