PEP" PROGRAM INFORMATION

A new program called "PEP," Product Enhancement Program, will be taking the place of the "HOP" program, which expired with our last contract.  This program allows employees Grade 23 and below the opportunity to exchange six annual leave days for up to $1,000 to be applied to the employee's share of their health insurance premiums during 2012.  The attached file will give you complete information.  Each Judicial District should be contacting employees to inform them of the program guidelines and to advise them of the enrollment cut-off date of November 25^th.

Click here for "PEP" Information

(James Hennerty, CSEA Dep. Director of Contract Administration, 10/2/11)

Some CSEA members working for the court system are asking why the Empire Plan is changing before we have completed negotiating a new contract.  The reason is that Article 8 of the CSEA-UCS contract specifies that CSEA-represented court employees receive the same health insurance benefits (including co-pays, premium contributions, etc.) as our fellow NYS Executive Branch State empoyees do.  Now that we have made some changes in the Executive Branch, they become effective for our court employees pursuant to Article 8 of the contract.  And the expired agreement stays in effect until a new contract is completed.

(Source:  James Hennerty, CSEA Dep. Director of Contract Administration, 9/28/11)

We have just learned that changes in the New York State Health Insurance Plan, NYSHIP, negotiated by CSEA for its Executive Branch members will apply to CSEA-represented court employees, non-unionized court employees, and judges as of October 1^st of this year.  It is the responsibility of the NYSHIP Office to inform all affected employees about the details.  We do not yet know if this is being done at present.  Further developments will be posted on the web site.