April 10, 2008

MAPE's contract passes state Senate 62 to 2
MAPE's contract, and other state bargaining unit agreements, was passed on Thursday by the Minnesota Senate by a 62 to 2 vote. On Monday, we reported that the contract had passed the Senate unanimously by voice vote; however, that was a vote to recommend passage of the contract bill.

The Senate heard the contract bill today and passed it 62 to 2. Senate File 2620, which included MAPE's contract, was carried by Senate President Jim Metzen.
The Senate amended the bill to include an additional MnSCU faculty contract. Therefore, the bill needs to make one more visit to the House, where it previously passed 128 to 1, before landing on the governor’s desk.

Last year, MAPE's contract was passed with the support of 89 percent of our voting members, signed by members of the Pawlenty administration and approved by the Legislative Coordinating Commission Subcommittee on Employee Relations.
Securing passage of the MAPE contract well before the end of the legislative session was a core objective this year for Team MAPE. Passage of the contract will give MAPE members peace of mind knowing that our collectively bargained benefits, like health care, will not be in jeopardy.