Pay freeze approved for state employees

A two-year pay freeze for Minnesota state workers has cleared its last hurdle.

The Employee Relations Subcommittee of the Legislative Coordinating Commission signed off on contracts for the two largest state employee unions on Monday, the last step before the freeze takes effect.

The new contracts begin Wednesday, July 1.

Workers represented by AFSCME Council 5 and the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees will see their wages frozen at current levels through June 2011.

The contracts suspend raises for years of service in the first year, but reinstate those increases in the second year.

The legislative subcommittee also approved contracts for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities faculty, commissioners, managers and other smaller groups of state employees.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)