NAGE Reaches Agreement with OER to Increase Mileage Reimbursement
June 12, 2008
NAGE reached an agreement today with OER to increase the mileage reimbursement rate by 5 cents, bringing the rate to 45 cents per mile effective July 6, 2008.
"It's a start," said Theresa McGoldrick, president of Unit 6, Local 207. "We fully intend to keep pushing the issue during negotiations to move it to the federal rate of 50.5 cents per mile. We consider this an interim agreement and a decent base to start from."
National President David J. Holway wrote a letter in April to Administration and Finance Secretary Leslie Kirwan, arguing for parity with the federal rate.
"For decades, the rate at which employees have been reimbursed for the use of their vehicles has been far below the actual expense of operating the vehicle as calculated by the IRS. Every time a state employee uses his/her vehicle for the Commonwealth’s business he or she is incurring a financial loss and conferring a commensurate gain on the taxpayers," Holway wrote.
With gasoline costs blasting past the $4 mark, an extra $15 reimbursement per fill up helps, but will not be the end of the story in NAGE's battle for fair reimbursement. We will provide updates on this issue and other negotiations as bargaining progresses.