30.1 Upon promotion or reclassification from a Local 925 position to another Local 925 position with a higher salary range, the affected employee shall be placed on the salary step of the new range which reflects a minimum of a three (3) step increase. The new periodic increment date shall be the first of the current month for effective dates falling between the first and fifteenth of the month and the first of the following month for effective dates falling between the sixteenth and the end of the month.
30.2 An employee occupying a position that is reclassified to an existing class with a lower salary range shall be placed in the salary step in the new range which is closest to the current salary, provided such salary does not exceed the top step of the new salary range.
30.3 Salary Schedules.
30.4 Employees shall continue to receive increment increases at the rate of two (2) steps each twelve (12) months unless they are newly hired at Step A, in which case they will receive a two (2) step increase at six (6) months then two (2) steps annually thereafter. Employees on the Health Care Range receive increment increases at the rate of one (1) step each twelve (12) months except employees starting at step A progress to step B after six (6) months. The University, at its discretion, may approve additional increment increases at any time. Such additional increment increases will not change an employee's periodic increment date.
30.5 The University and the Union affirm their commitment to the principles of comparable worth by implementing any state-mandated comparable worth adjustments.
30.6 Health Benefits. For the life of the Agreement, bargaining unit members shall be governed by the results of healthcare coalition bargaining, per RCW 41.80.020, with respect to health insurance benefits and premiums.
30.7 Parking/U-Pass. The Union agrees that during the life of this Agreement, the University may apply changes in transportation policy, including adjusting parking and U-pass fees and criteria for assigning parking spots, to the bargaining unit without the obligation to bargain with the Union. The Union may raise issues and concerns at Joint Labor/Management Committee meetings or at ad hoc Labor Management Committee. The Union shall have a standing seat on the University's committees that work on transportation and parking issues.
30.8 Career Enhancement/Growth Program. The University will continue its Career Enhancement/Growth Program. The program will reward employees whose development of skills, increased productivity, or assumption of higher level duties results in service enhancements or efficiencies for the department in which the employee works.
Steps N & O (Appendix IV - Pay Table B4) and Steps R & S (Appendices V, and VI - Pay Tables B6 and B7) will be attained solely through the Career Enhancement/Growth Program and will not be based on length of service.
Employees in every classification covered by this Agreement will be eligible for the program. Employees are eligible to receive a Career Enhancement/Growth step any time after they have been at the last automatic increment step in their pay range for a minimum of one (1) year. Employees are eligible for the subsequent Career Enhancement/Growth step beginning one (1) year after receiving the previous step.
There will be no minimum or maximum number of employees who may receive Career Enhancement/Growth steps. There will be no minimum or maximum amount of money the University will spend on the Career Enhancement/Growth program. Decisions about Career Enhancement/ Growth steps shall be made within sixty (60) days of supervisory/managerial recommendations.
The Career Enhancement/Growth program will not be a substitute for reclassifications. Reclassifications will take priority over receiving Career Enhancement/Growth steps such that if an employee qualifies to receive a Career Enhancement/Growth step but could otherwise be reclassified, the employee will be reclassified and will not simultaneously receive the Career Enhancement/Growth step. Career Enhancement/Growth steps shall be considered in calculating salary adjustment associated with promotion and upward reclassification, but in no instance shall a salary in a new position be at a step higher than the highest automatic increment step in the new pay range except for lateral transfers where there is no mutual agreement not to exceed the highest automatic increment step in the new pay range.
The University agrees to regularly issue University-wide reminders promoting the value of this program.
The Career Enhancement/Growth program in its entirety is not subject to the grievance procedure (Article 4).
30.9 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). All pay tables covered by this Agreement shall be modified as follows:
30.10 Market Rate Wage Adjustments. On July 1, 2007 the job titles listed in Appendix VII shall receive the agreed-upon market rate wage adjustments.
If market conditions determine that an upward adjustment in one or more economic areas is essential to maintain competitiveness, both the Union and the Employer shall be given the opportunity to raise issues of competitive compensation and propose market adjustments. When the Employer proposes adjustments, the Union shall be given at least thirty (30) days notice in advance of the implementation date to negotiate the adjustment.