It is my pleasure to announce the APSA Board election results from the April 18th, 2013 Semi-Annual Membership meeting.
VP of Contract Administration: Diane Mayers
VP of Contract Negotiations: Dan Chegwidden
Corresponding Secretary: Ken Dirkin
Board Members:
- Mike Gardner
- Greg Harris
- Paul Kuchek
- John Phillipich
The presentation from the Semi-Annual Membership Meeting can be downloaded here.
Just a reminder that Open Enrollment starts today. For more information visit HR’s Open Enrollment website. To enroll, log in to the EBS Portal starting April 22. All changes for 2013 must be completed between April 22 and May 13. You can download the faculty/staff benefits enrollment guide here.
Benefits Fair Dates
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Breslin Center
Meeting Rooms B & C (Mezzanine level)
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
International Center
Spartan Rooms B & C
9 a.m. to 4 p.m
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Nisbet Building
Room 125
9 a.m. to 4 p.m
Please plan on attending the Administrative Professional Supervisors Association General Membership meeting on Thursday April 18th. The meeting will be held at the Breslin Center. Ample parking is adjacent. We’ll be utilizing the meeting rooms on the mezzanine level. Breslin Center staff will post directional signs. A box lunch will be provided. Lunches will be available at 11:30am with the meeting beginning promptly at noon.
Agenda Items:
- Election of Officers and Directors Positions
- Officer Reports
- Briefing on Right to Work
- Health Care Negotiations
- Member’s Privilege
I am sure you will find this a very informative meeting, so please join us.
Download October 2012 Semi-annual membership meeting minutes for review.
Our next APSA Elections will be held at our Semi-Annual meeting on April 18, 2013. For more info visit the Elections page.
If you are interested in running for an office, please fill out the NOMINATIONS FORM. Nominations can also be made from the floor at the Membership Meeting.
Positions that will be voted on in April include;
Vice President of Contract Administration
Term of office: Oct. 1, 2013 – Sept. 30, 2015
Remuneration: $600/monthDuties:
- Perform those tasks and duties that result from any grievance of concern arising from proper or improper administration on any Association contracts.- Consult with Association members, as needed, including, but not limited to, concerns about contract issues or events in the member’s workplace.
- Coordinate grievance paperwork.
- Resolve or recommend methods of resolution to any such grievance matters that arise, reporting same to the President and/or Executive Board.
- Serve as Chair of the Grievance Committee.
- Appoint one member of the Grievance Committee to serve as the alternate Grievance Officer subject to approval by the Executive Board.
- Appoint the Association’s Grievance Committee, subject to approval by the Executive Board.
- Provide a current written grievance report at monthly Executive Board meetings and provide semiannual written reports to the Association membership.
- Consult and refer appropriate matters to the Association’s legal counsel.
- Report to the President and/or Executive Board recommended methods of resolution to any grievance matters that arise. Seek Executive Board approval to pursue arbitration in specific cases.
- Assist with training the Association’s Grievance Committee, convene meetings of the Grievance Committee.
- Perform duties common to all Executive Board members.
Vice President of Contract Negotiations
Term of office: Oct. 1, 2013 – Sept. 30, 2015
Remuneration: $300/monthDuties:
- Perform those tasks and duties pertaining to the preparation of materials and information needed for contract negotiations. All members of the Association shall be provided with the proposed contract negotiation issues and objectives. A written survey of the membership shall be conducted to solicit additional issues and to determine the degree of support of the proposed contract issues and objectives.
- Serve as the liaison to Association representatives on designated committees that apply to the Association in the absence of any other reporting member.
- Serve as Chair of the Negotiations Committee.
- Appoint the Association’s Negotiating Committee, at least four months prior to the onset of contract negotiations, said Committee members to be approved by the Executive Board.
- Provide monthly reports to the Executive Board and semi-annual reports to the Association membership on contract negotiations or issues related to contract negotiations.
- Write a report of each year’s contract negotiations, if any, to be included in the President’s annual report for the Association.
- Perform duties common to all Executive Board members.
Corresponding Secretary
Term of office: Oct. 1, 2013 – Sept. 30, 2015
Remuneration: $200/monthDuties:
- Conduct all correspondence relating to the affairs of the Association and gather material as needed pertinent to such correspondence as directed by the President, the Executive Board or the Association’s counsel.
- Issue all notices of Association meetings and special Executive Board meetings in accord with the bylaws.
- Prepare and facilitate the publication of an Association newsletter.
- Maintain or coordinate the maintenance of the Association’s webpage.
- Prepare an Association calendar of events, noting meetings, deadlines, and special events.
- Perform duties common to all Executive Board members (Director position duties).
- Perform all other duties which are normal to the office of the Corresponding Secretary.
FOUR (4) DIRECTORS
Term of office: Oct. 1, 2013 – Sept. 30, 2015
Remuneration: $50/monthA Director has the following duties:
- Represent the Association as an elected member of the Executive Board.
- Perform duties authorized by the President and/or the Executive Board.
- Attend all monthly Board meetings, retreats, and special meetings, unless excused by the President.
- Begin attending Board meetings as soon as elected to the position with voting privileges to begin when the term of office begins.
- Serve as members of Association committees, and/or University committees, as appointed by the Association President or Executive Board.
- If the President is unable to make appointments as set forth in the Bylaws, the majority of the Executive Board present and voting will designate an Acting President until the President is able to resume their duties.
- Act as the Recording Secretary, as appointed by the President, if said Secretary is unable to attend a monthly Executive Board meeting.
- Be available to all Association members for consultation and be knowledgeable to direct said member to the appropriate Association officer, if further consultation is needed.
- Vote on issues brought before the Executive Board.
- Approve all appointments of committee members.
- At the expiration of their term shall deliver to their successor all books, monies, and other property of the Association.
For the lack of a better term the “Fiscal Cliff Legislation” which was passed and signed into law on New Year’s Day, had among its various components the following provision:
Permanent extension of the employer-provided education assistance (Section 127 of the Internal Revenue Code), which allows an employee to exclude from income up to $5,250 per year in educational assistance at the undergraduate and graduate level regardless of whether the education is job-related.
This is welcome news for those APSA members that are currently utilizing the MSU educational benefit or plan to in the future.
Section 127 of the U.S. tax code, which allows an employee to exclude from income up to $5,250 a year in employer-provided tuition assistance for undergraduate and graduate-level courses, will expire at the end of the year unless Congress takes action. The provision was established in 1978 and has been extended by Congress several times, most recently in 2010.
I share this information because educational assistance has historically been a very important benefit to our members. It enhances the ability for our members to advance their education, which in turn benefits MSU. APSA collected some data on educational assistant a few years ago and we found that more than 70% of our membership had utilized the educational benefit in some way over the course of their MSU careers. Of course if this tax provision expires members may have a tax liability for utilizing this benefit in the future. I was reminded that this occurred briefly a few years back and the financial impact was significant for some members. If this tax exclusion has helped you or will help you in the future you may wish to express your thoughts to your congressional representatives.
Let close by wishing each of you a safe and happy holiday season.
From Human Resources Newsletter HR Source
MSU is conducting a Dependent Eligibility Verification to confirm all dependents covered under MSU health plans meet eligibility requirements to continue that coverage. If you cover a spouse, OEI, children or other dependents on your MSU health plan, you will need to participate in the verification process no later than January 3, 2013, if you wish to continue covering your dependents under your MSU health benefits moving forward.
MSU has retained the services of the health care consulting firm Mercer to conduct this verification process. If you need to participate, you will receive a letter at your home address describing the documentation you will need to provide to Mercer for each of your covered dependents and the methods you can use to submit that information. Failure to submit the required documentation will result in the termination of benefits for your dependent(s).If you cover dependents under your MSU health benefits, please watch your mailbox in late November for the letter with instructions for participating and submit the required documentation to Mercer by the deadline to avoid an interruption of benefits for your dependents.
We recognize that this type of process requires both time and effort from faculty and staff and we very much appreciate your assistance and cooperation. Though inconvenient, eligibility verifications are an important tool we must use occasionally to continue maintaining a high-quality and affordable health benefits package for MSU faculty and staff.
Please contact Kathleen Deneau with changes.
Please join the APSA Executive Board for the Semi-Annual Membership Meeting on October 18, 2012 at the Breslin Center, Mezzanine level. The meeting will start with box lunch at 11:30 am and last until 1:30 pm.
The collective bargaining agreement between Michigan State University and the Administrative Professional Supervisors Association has been updated on the MSU APSA website. You can view and/or download the agreement at http://msuapsa.org/contracts and request a printed copy, when they become available, at http://msuapsa.org/form/contract-request/
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Jim Hensley, APSA President.
APSA is a member of
