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Our 2023-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) went into effect July 1, 2023. This new contract builds on the progress we made in our previous agreements. This contract demonstrates tangible results, and we encourage all AAGs to join the union so that we have strong membership to sustain these gains in the years to come.
Here are the economic highlights:
- The CBA adds a new step 18 to the salary grid, which becomes effective July 1, 2024, and is an additional 4% above step 17.
- AAGs on the salary grid will receive a 4% increase on July 1, 2023.
- AAGs on the salary grid will receive an additional 3% increase on July 1, 2024.
- New AAG retention premium: All AAGs with 5 or more years of cumulative service will receive a 5% premium on top of their base salary, beginning July 1, 2023 (See Art. 10.10 and MOU). AAGs who are already eligible will see this increase in their July 25, 2023, paycheck. Those who become eligible for this retention premium during the term of the CBA will see this increase in the paycheck following the pay period in which they become eligible.
- Retention bonus: All AAGs employed as of July 1, 2022, and who are still employed at the AGO on July 1, 2023, will receive a $1,000 lump sum payment. Eligible AAGs should see this in their July 25, 2023, paycheck. (See MOU.)
Here are the non-economic highlights:
- Improvements to the Office’s exchange time policy, making it easier to qualify for more exchange time. Exchange time awards will now be made quarterly, instead of biannually, which means extraordinary hours worked will not be diluted as much over time. And you can now earn 40% of the hours worked above your regular hours (instead of 20%), up to 32 hours in a 3-month period (instead of 50 hours for a 6 month period). And, for shorter periods of extraordinary hours worked, you can now request an immediate award of exchange time from your Division Chief. (See Art. 14)
- Improved process for discipline. The contract now expressly allows union representation at a pre-disciplinary meeting. Written reprimands can be grieved. And the contract now includes provisions for removal of disciplinary documents from the personnel file. (Art. 3)
- An immediate improvement to the AGO’s parental leave policy, which now allows all employees to use up to 18 weeks of sick leave for parental leave, instead of 12
This contract represents a continuation of the progress that began with our first CBA, which became effective only three years ago. Our first contract focused on bringing equity, transparency, and predictability to AAG pay. It was designed to raise the salaries of those AAGs who were the farthest behind their public sector peers -- both within and outside the office. At the time, it represented the single largest increase in AAG salaries ever.
This new contract builds on our initial compensation framework by adding a step to the grid and providing premium pay to retain experienced AAGs. It adds two retention premium tiers: one that kicks in at 5 years in the AGO, and a second that kicks in at 10 years. For this two-year agreement, however, all AAGs will be eligible for a 5% retention premium beginning at 5 years in the AGO. The two-tiered concept provides a framework we can build on in future agreements.
For those of you who were in the AGO just three short years ago, you know that we had unpredictable and uneven pay. Workplace policies could be changed without our input. Now, we have annual raises, which come with transparency and without favoritism. Workplace policy changes that affect our working conditions must now be bargained. In short, we have fought for what we deserve and our union has delivered. We ask all members to attend our meetings, join committees and stay engaged.
If you are an AAG who has not yet joined AWAAG-AFSCME, please consider doing so. We achieved these contract gains because AAGs from across the state stood together.
In solidarity,
Your AWAAG-AFSCME Local 5297 Executive Board
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