The 91ֿ Board of Trustees has approved a new three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement between the university and the 91ֿ Employees Local 153, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).
The university and AFSCME will now execute a Collective Bargaining Agreement that is retroactive to Oct. 1, 2019, and will run through Sept. 30, 2022. Under the agreement, represented employees will receive a 2.5% wage increase retroactive to Oct. 1, 2019; 0% increase in year two (Oct. 1, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2021); and a 1.5% increase in year three (Oct. 1, 2021, through Sept. 30, 2022). The university will also provide each employee a one-time $400 bonus upon approval of the agreement and implement a $50 per quarter incentive for perfect attendance.
“We are pleased to enter this new collective bargaining agreement with our valued team members and colleagues from AFSCME Local 153,” said Mark Polatajko, Ph.D., 91ֿ’s senior vice president for finance and administration. “These employees have been on the front lines of the pandemic serving our students, faculty, staff and community so admirably and selflessly throughout this challenging time. We extend a special thank you and expression of gratitude to all.”
AFSCME represents approximately 400 employees in the bargaining unit covering classified positions of food service workers, cooks, maintenance workers, skilled trades and similar classifications.
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Media Contact:
Lisa Abraham, labraha5@kent.edu, 330-672-1696