AUGUSTA – Maine’s prison personnel and mental health workers have reached a tentative union contract agreement that would mean a 7 percent increase in base pay over the next two years and would add one more step in the pay scale.

“The state and the union entered into a substantial pay study during negotiations,” Ed Willey, state coordinator for Council 93 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said Friday, noting that, as a result, the group gained leverage for a market adjustment.

Although the Maine State Employees Association and Maine state troopers both ratified their contracts in June, “our groups refused to ratify twice,” Willey said, referring to the institutional services bargaining unit.

Some prison employees, such as vocational instructors, clerks, business personnel and maintenance workers are MSEA members. Guards, sergeants, cooks and showroom workers are affiliated with AFSCME.

The AFSCME contract for the 1,109 state prison and mental health workers expired June 30.

The major change in the contract is for an additional pay step, Willey said, explaining that after an employee begins work there is a pay step each year up to Step 6. After six years, the only raise provided to employees was cost-of-living adjustments and longevity beginning at 15 years.

If the contract were ratified, employees who reach Step 6 would receive that same pay for two years. At year eight, they would move to Step 7, which involves a 3 percent increase. Step 7 would not become effective until Jan. 1, 2003.

At that point, however, all employees with eight years of service or more would get that step raise.

“That touches close to 50 percent of our employees,” Willey said.

Also included in the package is a 3 percent pay raise effective Jan. 13, 2002, which is retroactive to July 1, 2001. The retroactive pay would be given in a lump sum. On July 1, 2002, employees would receive another 2 percent wage hike and on Jan. 1, 2003, another 2 percent raise.

Some employees, such as prison guards, receive shift differentials and direct care stipends. The direct care stipend, which is now 45 cents per hour, would increase by 20 cents twice during the contract period.

A new prison guard now starts work at $10.86 per hour for a 42.5-hour workweek, Willey said. The new contract would boost starting pay to $11.19 per hour.

The new contract, which is for two years, will be voted on by the union members in two to three weeks and then will go to the Legislature in January for consideration, Willey said.

“We have high hopes that the membership will ratify,” Willey said.