Greetings MPEC Members,
On December 31, the MPEC bargaining team reached a tentative agreement with the State. Despite a $3 billion budget deficit, we fought to ensure that state employees were not asked to shoulder the burden of closing the gap.
Unit G FY2027 Tentative Agreement
What This Tentative Agreement Achieves
1. General Wage Increase (COLA)
Effective July 1, 2026, all Unit G employees — including Unit G employees employed at MSDE — will receive a 1.5% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).
2. Revised Standard Pay Scale – Fixing an Outdated System
One of the most significant wins in this agreement is the adoption of a revised Standard Salary Schedule.
- Effective July 1, 2026, salary schedules with step increases below 2% will be adjusted
- Each step will reflect a uniform 2.0% increase
- The adjustment applies across the entire scale and does not change anyone’s step placement
What this means for members:
All Unit G employees — including those at MSDE — will receive the 1.5% COLA, plus an additional increase if their current step was below the new 2.0% increment standard. Employees on affected schedules receive the COLA and the step adjustment needed to bring their pay scale into alignment.
This revised pay scale addresses long-standing compression issues and is a first step toward our long-term goal of uniform 2.5% step increases, restoring predictability, fairness, and meaningful career progression.
3. Classification Salary Review
As part of the Annual Salary Review (ASR) process, employees in the OSH Compliance Hygienist III and Lead classifications will receive a one-grade increase, resulting in a 6% pay increase effective July 1, 2026.
Revised Standard Pay Scale: How Your Increase Is Calculated
Your total increase may include two components, depending on your current pay step.
- All Unit G employees receive the 1.5% COLA, applied to their current salary
- If your salary schedule previously had step increases below 2.0%, the dollar value of your step is adjusted so that each step now reflects a uniform 2.0% increase
- Your step placement does not change — only the value of the step increases
If your step was already at or above 2.0%, no additional adjustment is needed
In short: everyone receives the COLA, and employees on affected schedules receive the COLA plus the difference needed to reach the 2.0% step standard.
Illustrative Example – Standard Salary Schedule (Grade 18)
Before:
- Step 4: $62,000
- Step 5: $63,050 (≈ 1.7%)
After (Revised 2.0% Step):
- Step 4: $62,000
- Step 5: $63,240 (+$1,240)
Each step now carries more value, and future steps result in a clearer, more meaningful raise.
Questions? Contact us at mpec@mpecmd.org or 443-863-7171