MORE GOOD NEWS – MEA Has Secured An Additional 20% Special Salary Increase for All Engineers
As a follow up to MEA’s earlier E-Blast regarding contract negotiations, the Tentative Agreement (TA) MEA has reached with the City includes a 20% special salary increase for all Engineering job classifications (Senior, Associate, Assistant and Junior level Engineers in the Civil, Communications, Corrosion, Electrical, Fire Protection, Mechanical, Structural and Traffic disciplines, Senior Engineering Geologist, Engineering Trainee, and all Engineering Aides).
If this TA is ratified by MEA’s entire membership, employees in these Engineering job classifications will benefit from both general and special salary increases over the two-year term of this agreement:
- 4% (general salary increase) on July 1, 2021
- 10% (special salary increase) on January 1, 2022
- 5% (general salary increase) on July 1, 2022
- 10% (special salary increase) on January 1, 2023
These pay increases compound upon one another, which means that by the middle of the second year of this MEA contract your pay will be 32.1% higher than your pay today!
In addition, this TA includes several improvements related to add-on pays for registration and second licence pay: 1) Engineers in the civil engineering discipline who have a State Architects License will join their colleagues with a PE in becoming eligible for 15% Registration Pay and an additional 16% Infrastructure Premium Pay; 2) Structural Engineers with a State Structural licence in addition to the PE will receive 10% additional pay (currently 5%) for this second specialty license; 3) Civil Engineers with a State Geotechnical license will receive 10% additional pay (currently 5%) for this second specialty license; and 4) Senior Engineering Geologist and civil engineers with the Geologist Option Title will receive a new 10% additional pay for their second license as a Certified Engineering Geologist. These changes and improvements will go into effect on July 1, 2021.
These new general and special salary increases are “pensionable” pay meaning that (1) these increased amounts count in full toward the future lifetime pension allowance being earned under the SDCERS defined benefit pension plan; and (2) these increased amounts also count in determining contributions to the City’s 401(k)-style plan for those hired after July 19, 2012 under “Prop B.” Remember, however, that MEA’s recent victory after a 10-year litigation battle to have Prop B declared unlawful – together with a court directive to strike Prop B from the City Charter – means that all MEA-represented employees will soon be enrolled into the SDCERS defined benefit pension plan and they too will have a more secure retirement!
This achievement is the product of MEA’s multi-year advocacy campaign for more competitive pay and benefits for MEA-represented employees. MEA’s entire leadership team, its staff and legal counsel have all been single-minded in their focus to secure this level of general and special salary increases. MEA recognizes and appreciates the leadership of Mayor Todd Gloria and the City Council in acting boldly but responsibly to support these well-deserved pay increases.
Please be on the lookout for additional information related to the upcoming ratification vote by MEA’s membership. Your participation in ratification is vital to ensuring that these pay increases are implemented. If you know a non-member colleague, encourage them to join MEA today so they will be eligible to vote and we can get this contract ratified and implemented!
If you have any feedback or questions, please contact MEA at 619-264-6632 or email us at info@sdmea.org.