Hello AFSCME Local 3800 employees,
You should all have received an e-mail from the University Retirement Programs office containing information about the University's PROPOSED Retirement Incentive Option (RIO).
Because this proposal has an impact on our terms and conditions of employment, union members will need to vote on whether or not to accept this proposal.
This vote will take place at our next local membership meeting; only full members are able to vote on issues pertaining to terms and conditions of employment:
THURSDAY, MAY 29th
5:15 pm
HHH Room 205
West Bank
The leadership of the Local has had a number of meetings with University HR to discuss this proposal. The e-mail you received today from the University is just a summary of the retirement incentive proposal.
PLEASE READ THE FULL TEXT before making any decisions! The following link brings you to the University Human Resources office Benefits page – click on the "Civil Service and IBEW employees" link. The proposal for AFSCME is the same as this one:
www.umn.edu/ohr/benefits.
(Please note that, in the FAQ on the web, wherever it says "former employee", they are referring only to employees who retired under this RIO, not all "former employees.")
The RIO could be a positive benefit for union employees in some circumstances, particularly considering the high cost of health care coverage in the United States:
* If you are 62 years of age or older; if you are eligible under the rules as stated in the RIO, and if you have considered retiring, this RIO will give you three full years of health care coverage under your current plan. (You will continue to pay the employee portion as you do now; the University will continue to pay its portion.)
* If you have been considering leaving University employment and you are eligible under the rules as stated in the RIO, having the three years of health care coverage may be a good bridge between jobs.
The last time the University and the Unions agreed on a retirement incentive was in 2003/04. This proposal contains some different options, so you should be aware of these:
* Read the full text for information about eligibility; the e-mail from the University summarizes the eligibility requirements;
* There will be NO payout for length of service: the last RIO allowed for 1 week of pay for each year of service; this benefit is currently only available if you've received a layoff notice, and is in the MOU on Alternatives to Layoff;
* Once you have agreed to this RIO, you have only 15 days to rescind your decision; after that 15 days, you are locked into the retirement option regardless of any circumstances that may arise before your retirement date that may change your wish to participate;
* Once you have retired under this program, you may not EVER return to University employment in a benefit-eligible position. You may return to work at the University after 3 months have elapsed between your retirement date and your new job, but you will only be able to work on a 49% (19.5 hours) appointment or lesser appointment.
Should this proposal pass the membership vote, the "window of opportunity" will be set for a date very soon after the May 29th membership meeting. Local 3800 employees will get an e-mail with the results of the vote and an opening date for enrollment in this RIO.
We encourage you to send comments and questions to the Local 3800 email.