Bargaining Continues Over The Summer
Barbara Altmann, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Professor of French
June 13, 2013
Commencement at the University of Oregon is Monday and summer will be upon us, but bargaining will continue.
Both sides have agreed to keep working toward a collective bargaining agreement, in small groups and at the full negotiating table, and we’re hoping to see real continued progress.
While some thought there would be a finalized contract by mid-June, that goal was unrealistic, given the complexities of a first-time contract.
To date, negotiators have forged tentative agreements on some provisions, United Academics is working on 18 other proposals, and the University is drafting responses to 13 others. A small group with members from both sides is focused on four more.
Salary and benefits remain under discussion and there is some distance between the two sides. The University has offered across-the-board and merit increases averaging 10.3% for tenure-track and tenured faculty and 11.37% for NTTFs through June 2015.
In total, the University has offered to invest an additional $13.3 million for faculty compensation in FY14 and FY15.
The latest United Academics proposal calls for approximately 15.2% increase in pay for tenure-track and tenured faculty and approximately 19.2% for NTTFs. That represents between $7.3 million and $8.7 million more than the University’s proposal.
There’s no question that there is more to do before UO reaches its first faculty contract. It’s worth noting that speed is not the goal. What we’re working towards is a fair and equitable agreement. The University is willing to invest the time to get it right.
