TO:  Board of Regents

FROM:  Sue Hill, Director, Labor Relations and Personnel

RE:  Approval of Tentative Agreement International Union of Operating Engineers, Local #400

DATE: March 21-22, 2002

Attached is a summary of the tentative agreement with the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local #400. The attached summary only includes the sections of the agreement where changes were made. The entire contract is available for review on line at https://mus.edu/hr/cba/collbarg.html. This agreement covers approximately 30 employees at Montana Tech of The University of Montana, Montana State University-Bozeman, The University of Montana-Western and The University of Montana-Missoula. Employees in this bargaining unit maintain the boiler operations and related heating and ventilation systems and perform a varying range of other maintenance duties.

Most of the language changes are minor. The most substantive change was to Article XIV, Section 9, the provision governing warning letters. Under the prior agreement all warning letters were removed from employees personnel files after six months. In the future, the first warning letter an employee receives stays in the personnel file for six months or up to one year after discussion with the bargaining agent. All subsequent warning letters have an indefinite duration. The provision authorizing grievance committees was modified to include a ten day time limit for advancing grievances. The words routine maintenance were deleted from the provision defining the scope of work at UM Western.

This bargaining unit did not adopt the Montana University System Achievement Project. Wages will increase 4% on November 1, 2001 and 4% on November 1, 2002. Insurance increases are consistent with state statute.

I recommend approval of the tentative agreement with the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local #400. The bargaining unit previously voted to ratify the tentative agreement.