Appropriations committee advances tentative MP2 contract for CEUI Local 511; leaves final votes open

The Appropriations Committee held a public hearing and voted to advance House Resolution 4 and Senate Resolution 4, which propose approval of a tentative collective bargaining agreement between the State of Connecticut and the Connecticut Employees Union Independent (CEUI) representing the NP2/MP2 maintenance and service bargaining unit. Committee members left final votes open until 3:00 p.m. to allow additional remote voting.

The Office of Labor Relations presented the agreement to the committee. "This testimony is being provided to request favorable consideration of the tentative collective bargaining agreement," David Kryski, Undersecretary for the Office of Labor Relations, told members, and described key terms including a three‑year economic package of 2.5% general wage increases plus step movement or lump‑sum payments for employees at top step, a $15 increase to the safety shoe allowance and changes to overtime eligibility and certain classifications. Kryski said the agreement would be effective upon approval and would expire June 30, 2029.

Why it matters: the NP2/MP2 unit covers roughly 3,700 predominantly blue‑collar state employees—custodians, cooks, transportation maintainers and power plant operators—whose work supports state facilities and highways. Kryski said some DOT maintenance classifications will receive upgrades beginning July 1, 2026, at an estimated annualized cost to the department of $1.2 million. The committee was also told a wage reopener is included for the fourth year of the agreement and is limited to general wage increases and annual step adjustments.

Committee members pressed officials on the contract's fiscal impact. A legislator cited the Office of Fiscal Analysis preliminary fiscal note showing an incremental cost of about $12 million in fiscal 2026 growing to roughly $45 million by fiscal 2029. Kryski said he did not have the OFA numbers before him but confirmed that fringe‑benefit costs contributed to higher out‑year estimates: "There's definitely a fringe component," he said. Other legislators argued the aggregate effects of multiple contracts make long‑term compensation growth a budgetary and municipal concern; one lawmaker said, "we will have the number one, highest paid state employees in the country" if the year's contracts pass, language recorded in the hearing.

Union negotiators urged support. Kara O'Sullivan, general counsel and staff director for CEUI Local 511 and chief negotiator for the NP2 settlement, told the committee the agreement is intended to address recruitment and retention problems in hard‑to‑staff job classes. "This tentative agreement will move these positions up one salary grade in the third year of the contract, thereby providing them with an improved rate of pay and help address their significant cost of living issues," O'Sullivan said, and described an apprenticeship program for transportation maintainers developed with the Department of Labor to build a recruitment pipeline.

Several legislators asked for more granular pay‑grade detail. Officials said they would provide specific step and classification pay information to members; Kryski offered to send the TC09→TC10 pay‑grade comparators requested by legislators, and O'Sullivan said the union had supplied comparative market and municipal data during negotiations.

Motion and voting: Representative Walker moved to approve the resolution proposing the tentative agreement; the motion was seconded and the committee took roll call votes while leaving both the House and Senate votes open until 3:00 p.m. Staff recorded many affirmative votes and several negatives during the hearing, and remote legislators continued to have time to cast their votes.

Next steps: final committee votes will be completed when the tally is closed at the committee's stated deadline. Committee staff also announced a public hearing scheduled for Friday on the deficiency bill. The committee adjourned its meeting business pending the final vote tally.