Common use of Affordability Goal Clause in Contracts

Affordability Goal. The Task Force will identify and agree upon recurring savings from Alliance employment costs and operational costs impacted by the work of Alliance members. The parties will use an interest-based consensus decision- making process. The projects will be reviewed and approved by mutual agreement, and the parties will mutually agree on the method of measuring cost savings. Costing will be verified by a neutral third party where the Task Force is unable to reach agreement on costing. In support of the Task Force’s work, effective with the 2023 APSP (paid in 2024), the affordability goal will constitute 67% of the APSP formula. The target for the affordability goal will be the cost savings as defined below: » The cost savings target for each year will be recurring savings of 1.5% of the total wage cost of all Alliance union represented-employees for the calendar year prior to the bonus plan year ("total wage cost"), incrementally, in each of the following years: 2023, 2024, 2025. (For example, in the 2023 APSP program year, to be paid in March of 2024, the 2022 total wage cost will determine the base.) Wage cost will be actual total payroll and will not include fringe and roll-up costs. » Credit will be given for savings in the year generated and will not be annualized. For example, if a single initiative realizes $10 of savings in year one and $90 in year two, $10 will be credited in Year one and $90 will be realized in Year two. The other 33% of the APSP goal will be divided among quality, workplace safety, service and attendance. If the 1.5% annual recurring savings are realized in the calendar year, the affordability target will be met. Credit will be paid on a prorated basis, however 0.25% of targeted savings will be a minimum threshold to trigger a prorated payout. Savings and payouts will be determined regionally, or by service area where that is the current practice. New recurring savings must be realized in each bonus year to support the payout.* * The intention of the parties is that credited savings will recur on an ongoing basis. However, in the event that a savings that is anticipated to recur does not in fact recur due to unanticipated circumstances, there is no penalty in subsequent years.