Chatriand said interest based bargaining was the approach used in the City of Bozeman. The four-year contract implements a pay structure based on a recent survey. Chatriand said one of the other positive outcomes of the interest based bargaining will be the establishment of a labor/management committee.
The interest based bargaining team members included Robert Coffin, Allyson Bristor, Jinny Cowan, Paula Frojae, Beth Boyson and Catherine Fletcher.

A one-year contract has been ratified by MPEA’s Marias Medical Center Chapter, according to Field Services Director Dick Letang. Ballots were counted June 20.
There are a number of economic gains in the contract. Members are to receive $30 per month retroactive to July 1, 2010, to offset health insurance increases that occurred prior to ratification of the new contract. In addition, there is to be a $75 per month increase in health insurance contribution that begins this month.
According to Letang there was to be a 1percent increase in base pay in the final pay period of June, and, another 1 percent increase in base pay in the July, 2011, payroll.
Marias Chapter team members working with Letang included Renae Hagen, John Whitney and Noreen Schwenke.

MPEA’s two Missoula County Airport Authority contracts have been ratified with each calling for a three-year contract that, among other things, increases wages 3 percent per year, according to MPEA Field Representative Jeff Howe.
The contract covering public safety officers provides that the Election Day holiday be dropped in exchange for the day after Thanksgiving.
The new contract, which goes into effect July 1, removes the three personal days negotiated in the last contract. But Howe explains that the last time the pay raise was so meager “we negotiated three personal days for each employee with the understanding that if a better wage increase became available in the following years that the personal day allowance would sunset.”
The new contract also calls for the training officer, with a separate job description, to receive a $1 an hour more. There was also agreement to increase the tool allowance to $480 per year. Howe explained that “the $480 would be front loaded July 1 with the ability for a large purchase to roll one receipt for the difference into the following year for reimbursement.”
Howe noted that the new contract also provided new language on duty weapons and the process for purchasing such.
George Erickson and Bob Otte worked with Howe on this contract.
In addition to the public safety officers, MPEA also has a building and field workers unit.
There is the same three-year agreement with the same economic settlement of 3 percent per year for three years. And, as with the public safety officers’ contract, there is an exchange of holidays with the day after Thanksgiving replacing Election Day.
Howe said that there would also be the loss of the three personal days because of the better wage agreement. The negotiating team working with Howe included Ryan Headrick, Nate Cole and Dave Crittendon.