We are writing on behalf of the 1,700 Unit 7 Registered Nurses and Health Care Professionals represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, and particularly, those who use their personal vehicles to carry out the Commonwealth’s business. We are writing to ask that you exercise the powers granted by you by M.G.L. Chapter 30, Section 25 to authorize an increase in the mileage reimbursement rate to the Internal Revenue Service approved level of 50.5 cents per mile from the current level of 40 cents.
As you know, although some state employees are required to possess a driver’s license as a condition of employment, they are not required to use their personal vehicles for state business. Nevertheless, many employees do so voluntarily to help out their employers, thereby saving their agencies and the taxpayers the expense of purchasing and maintaining a fleet of vehicles.
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 Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Every time a state employee uses his/her vehicle for Commonwealth business he/she is incurring a financial loss.
Given the dramatic increase in the cost of gasoline, however, this burden has become greater than most employees should bear. Over the last few months in particular, we have been receiving an increasing number of inquiries from employees who are telling us that unless the Commonwealth increases the mileage reimbursement rate, they will have no alternative but to discontinue using their vehicles for work purposes.
Although we have told these employees we will be seeking an increase through bargaining, and although we are urging them to be patient, it becomes harder and harder for them to do so as gas prices continue to surge beyond $3.50 per gallon, with the typical summer surge in prices still ahead of us.
In 2008, your predecessor, Secretary Kirwan, exercised her statutory authority and granted an increase in the reimbursement rate apart from contract negotiations because of a virtually identical surge in gas prices. We ask that you take a similar step to address this growing crisis.
cc: Mark D’Angelo, Director
Office of Employee Relations
John Langan, Deputy Director
Office of Employee Relations
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