55.01 Definitions of Rates of Pay

All rates of pay as used in this Agreement are defined as follows:

A. Class base rate is the minimum hourly rate of the pay range for the classification to which the employee is assigned.

B. Step rate is the specific value within the range to which the employee is assigned.

C. Base rate is the employee's step rate plus longevity adjustment.

D. Regular rate is the base rate plus supplements, whichever apply.

E. Total rate is the regular rate plus shift differential, where applicable.

55.02

Employees in the bargaining unit shall be paid in accordance with the following schedule for the duration of this Agreement.

Upon completion of their probationary period, Police Officer 1’s shall be reclassified to Police Officer 2. Upon successful completion of the Wildlife Officer Pre-Service Training program, Wildlife Officer Cadets shall be promoted to Wildlife Officer.

The issue of automatic progression for the Tax Enforcement Agents shall be deferred to a labor management committee with implementation of the automatic progression no sooner than January 1, 2012. If the committee cannot agree to implementation, the issue shall be advanced to Step Three (3) Arbitration pursuant to Article 20.07.

55.04 Promotions
Employees who are promoted to a classification assigned to a higher pay range within the unit shall be placed at a step to guarantee them an increase of approximately four percent (4%). Employees assigned to a classification series which provides automatic movement to
a higher classification at the successful completion of the initial probationary period or are promoted as a result of the appointment type change are not subject to a four percent (4%) increase. These employees will receive a step increase pursuant to Section 55.06 before placement into the higher classification. The employees shall be placed in the step of the higher pay range which is closest to but not
less than the step they are assigned at the completion of the probationary period. Subsequent step increases will be provided pursuant to Section 55.06.

55.05 Step Movement
There shall be a freeze on step movement beginning with employees whose step date is August 2, 2009 or thereafter. Thereafter, there shall be no step movements, including any step movement provided for in agency specific agreements. Step movement shall resume
beginning with the employees whose step date is August 2, 2011. No retroactive movement shall occur for the two (2) years that have been skipped. Freezing of step movements shall not affect the performance evaluation schedule.

An employee shall receive a step increase upon satisfactory completion of the probationary period. However, employees hired or promoted between August 2, 2009 and August 1, 2011 shall not receive a probationary step increase. Upon resumption of step movement, the employee's step date shall be the employee's date of hire.

55.06 Cost Savings Days (CSDs)
Full time permanent employees in the FOP bargaining unit shall take ten (10) days off without pay, for a total of eighty (80) hours in each fiscal year beginning on August 1, 2009 and ending on June 30, 2011. The hours of a cost savings day may not be less than the employee's regularly scheduled work day or any hours remaining in the eighty (80) hour total. Cost savings days for employees who work other than a full time schedule will be assessed on the holidays listed under Article 38.01. This assessment will not affect compensation due separately pursuant to Article 38.03 for hours worked on a holiday.

The loss of pay shall be equal to 3.333 hours each pay period throughout the 2010 fiscal year, with the deduction beginning in the paycheck the employee receives on July 31, 2009. Beginning with the paycheck the employee receives July 2, 2010, the loss of pay shall be equal to 3.076 hours each pay period throughout the 2011 fiscal year. Employees on OIL, salary continuation, disability, or
hostage leave shall also have a deduction of 3.333 or 3.076 hours each pay period throughout the appropriate fiscal year. Deductions made pursuant to this Article shall be made pre-tax.

The Employer shall conduct a canvass once in each fiscal year in each work unit for full-time permanent employees. The canvass results for fiscal year 2010 must be in place by August 1, 2009. The canvass results for fiscal year 2011 must be in place by July 1, 2010.
Employees that already have approved vacation requests beginning August 1, 2009, may substitute cost savings days. The Employer shall indicate days which are not available and are identified as “black out” days based on operational need. “Black out” days may be work unit specific. Employees, in order of seniority, shall select days off. Subject to operational need, CSDs may include more
than one day up to the total of eighty hours. The Employer retains the right to reject the selection based upon operational need. Employees who are unavailable during the canvass period (e.g., disability, Workers' Compensation, leave of absence, etc.) shall be permitted to schedule the appropriate number of CSDs upon their return, subject to the foregoing. Employees who decline to
schedule part or all of the CSDs shall be scheduled by the Employer. Employees on alternative schedules must take off the number of days that are the equivalent of a total of eighty (80) hours.

For the first two (2) years of this agreement these employees vacation leave usage will be limited to a maximum of their yearly vacation leave accruals less the ten CSDs (e.g. An employee who accrues four (4) weeks of a vacation in a year, shall take ten (10) CSDs and up to maximum of ten (10) vacation days). However, additional vacation leave requests may continue to be approved according to Article 37.04. The denial of additional vacation leave requests shall not be arbitrable but may be grieved directly to Step 2 of the grievance procedure. This shall not impact FMLA rules and policies. If an Agency vacation canvass has already occurred, employees that already have approved vacation requests will be required to substitute CSDs for that leave up to a maximum of eighty (80) hours. If no Agency vacation canvass is in place or at the expiration of the current canvass, a CSD canvass shall be implemented for fiscal year 2010 and 2011. An employee on an initial probationary period shall have their CSDs determined by the Employer in consultation with the probationary employee. For the first two years of this agreement, these rules take precedence over those in Article 37. Effective July 1, 2011, all vacation leave may be utilized in accordance with Article 37.

In the event a cost savings day is revoked by the Employer after institution of a canvass, the employee shall be permitted to substitute any other day at his/her discretion. Revocation shall not be arbitrary or capricious. Such a rescheduling may not be revoked. The employee shall also be reimbursed for any costs incurred as a result of canceling or returning early from the CSD upon submission of appropriate evidence. The Employer and employee may mutual agree to change a CSD. In the event the Employer prevents an employee from taking cost savings days, appropriate corrections shall be made to his/her paycheck at the end of each fiscal year.

Employees' leave accruals and health insurance shall not be affected by cost savings days. Cost savings days shall not be considered as active pay status for purposes of Article 22.07. In the event an employee leaves state service prior to the equalization of cost savings days used and deductions made, appropriate corrections shall be made to his/her final paycheck or deducted from the employee's leave balances.

55.07 High Performance Work Systems
The Employer and the Union agree to establish a joint committee to study ways in which the current classification system can be amended for purposes of enhancing employee opportunity and flexibility through the use of concepts such as broad banding, skill based pay, and similar systems associated with high performance workplaces. The committee shall consist of four persons designated by each
party and the state employee members will serve without loss of pay or travel expenses, exclusive of overtime.

The committee will include in its work a study of the relationship between workforce development and high performance systems, including training requirements, career development paths, workplace redesign and the impact of existing provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and may recommend the implementation of pilot programs within the context of this Section. The parties agree that, except as may be mutually agreed otherwise, no pilot or project initiated as result of this effort will conflict with, amend or abridge any provision of this Agreement. It is further agreed that no pilot or project initiated as a result of this effort will result in loss of pay or
benefits, nor shall it result in the layoff of any employee.

55.08 Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
All employees shall receive their pay via direct deposit. Employees shall authorize the direct deposit of the employee's compensation into a financial institution of the employee's choice or execute the required documentation to authorize the direct deposit into a financial institution designated by the Board of Deposits for the benefit of the employee.

55.09 Parity/Me Too
Upon conclusion of the negotiation process with all other bargaining units set forth below, if the Employer does not freeze steps or merit increases comparable to those contained in the Unit 2 collective bargaining agreement, or provides any wage increase, excluding pay supplements, settlements, or awards from an administrative body or court, for state bargaining units represented by other organizations (Units 1, 10, 11, 12 and 15) or exempt employees (schedule E1, E2, and E3), that same adjustment will be implemented for the bargaining unit represented in this Agreement. Wage increases provided in accordance with promotions, individual reassignments based upon a change in duties, job audit changes, and classification revision changes are exempt from this section.

If the Employer fails to obtain concessions which are comparable to the ten (10) unpaid days or unpaid holidays (i.e., eighty hours) from the other employee groups referenced above, then the members of Unit 2 will be given the more generous package.