Cost of Living Adjustment For each year following the Initial Term, unless the parties shall otherwise agree and provided that the service mix and volumes remain consistent as previously provided in the Initial Term, the total fee for all services shall equal the fee that would be charged for the same services based on a fee rate (as reflected in a fee rate schedule) increased by the percentage increase for the twelve-month period of such previous calendar year of the CPI-W (defined below) or, in the event that publication of such index is terminated, any successor or substitute index, appropriately adjusted, acceptable to both parties. As used herein, “CPI-W” shall mean the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (Area: Boston-Brockton-Nashua, MA-NH-ME-CT; Base Period: 1982-84=100), as published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Cost of Living (COLA) All seniority employees who have completed their appropriate wage progression schedule shall be covered by the provisions of a cost-of-living allowance, as set forth in this Agreement. Employees who have not completed their appropriate wage pro- gression on the effective date of a COLA increase, shall receive the adjustment on a prospective basis on the date they complete their wage progression schedules. The amount of the cost-of-living allowance shall be determined as provided below on the basis of the "Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, CPI-W (Revised Series using 1982-1984 Expenditure Patterns), All Items (1982-84 = 100), published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor" and referred to herein as the "Index". Effective August 1, 2019 2024 and every August 1, thereafter during the life of the Agreement, a cost-of-living allowance will be calculated on the basis of the difference between the Index for May 202419 (published June 202419) and every May thereafter, and the base Index for May 202318 (published June 202318) and every May thereafter, as follows: For every two tenths (0.2) point increase in the Index, over and above the base (prior year's) Index plus three percent (3.00%) there will be a one (1) cent increase in the hourly wage rates payable on August 1, 202419 and every August 1 thereafter. These increases shall only be payable if they equal five cents ($.05) in a year. All cost-of-living allowances paid under this Agreement will become and remain a fixed part of the base wage rate for all job classifications. A decline in the Index shall not result in the reduc- tion of classification base wage rates. Mileage paid employees will receive cost-of-living allowances on the basis of .25 xxxxx per mile for each one (1) cent increase in hourly wages, subject to the threshold set forth above. In the event the appropriate Index figure is not issued before the effective date of the cost-of-living adjustment, the cost-of-living adjustment that is required will be made at the beginning of the first (1st) pay period after the receipt of the Index. In the event that the Index shall be revised or discontinued and in the event the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, does not issue information which would enable the Employer and the Union to know what the Index would have been had it not been revised or discontinued, then the Employer and the Union will meet, negotiate, and agree upon an appropriate substitute for the Index. Upon the failure of the parties to agree within sixty (60) days, thereafter, the issue of an appropriate substitute shall be submitted to an arbitrator for determination. The arbitrator's decision shall be final and binding.
