MOU GOLD
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The Unit 9 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is chock full of financial benefits for employees, some of which go unclaimed.
In some cases, you don’t need to do anything to reap the benefits. Health plan premiums increased in January 2008. However, the State pays most of the increase. Employee premium payments for PERSCare and PERSChoice actually went down; Kaiser stayed about the same ,and blue Shield increased slightly.
Similarly, dental plan premium increases resulted in no more than a $1 increase for employees, and the vision service plan remains entirely state-paid. Plan benefits and co-payments remained unchanged in 2008.
The July 2007 pay raises ranged from 11.3% to 14.1%. The $200 to $300 per month differentials for 31 Unit 9 classes are paid automatically. However, many of the other financial items require action by the employee to obtain the benefit.
For example, reimbursement of fees (and time off) for license application, exam, and renewal (Section 3.3) and various health and safety certificates (3.13 and 3.14) require the employee to apply for the reimbursement. The same is true for the $100 reimbursement for professional society and organization dues (3.3).
Meal, lodging, and mileage reimbursement is found in MOU Section 7. Mileage reimbursement increased to 50.5 cents per mile on January 1, 2008. Sometimes overlooked is the $1,800 per month option for long-term assignment for Caltrans (3.7) and reimbursement of non-receipted expenses of $67 per day (3.25).
Do you live in a rural area? You may qualify for a rural health care subsidy program up to $1,500 per year (4.12). Are you employed at one of several remote state prisons? An annual recruitment and retention bonus of $2,400 is provided (3.8).
Use bilingual skills more than 10% of your time? You might qualify for a bilingual differential (3.4). Transportation Surveyors designated as lead persons can get $253 more per month (3.21); licensed Traffic Engineers at TE Range C may receive $225 more per month, depending on their assignment (3.17); and some Associates can get a $500 bonus for obtaining a license (3.16). PUC employees in Unit 9 are credited with one hour of cash or CTO for every four hours on on-call/standby status (25).
If you work overtime, you are entitled to time and one-half in cash or CTO (8) and may get an $8 overtime meal (7.6). Working at night, earns a shift differential (3.9). Climbing (3.15) or diving (3.10) can earn you a differential.
Field employees can be reimbursed up to $100 every 18 months for safety footwear (7.3). DPR and CDF Unit 9 employees receive an annual uniform replacement credit of $350 or $380 (7.5). Transit riders and vanpoolers (7.2) receive reimbursement.
In addition to the various paid leave (5) and holidays (9), employees who engage in qualifying mentoring activities receive paid mentoring leave time on an hour for hour matching basis, up to 40 hours per year (5.11).
Do you qualify for some of these benefits, but haven’t claimed them?