July 24, 2013
From the University Bargaining Team:
New Economics Package Addresses Issues Raised At Bargaining Table
The University presented a package of economic proposals yesterday that has been revised to address faculty union members’ concerns about salary compression, PERS changes and other economic issues. The package reflects the University’s commitment to live within its means while rewarding superior teaching and research, supporting families, and making progress on equity and salary floors.
The proposal includes:
- Salary increases. Over a three-year period, tenured and tenure-track faculty would receive an average pay raise totaling 10.3% and non-tenure track faculty would receive an average increase totaling 11.4% through a mix of across-the-board, merit, floor, and compression/equity adjustments.
- Salary equity. The latest salary proposal establishes a pool of dollars to address internal equity for tenure-track and tenured bargaining-unit faculty.
- Salary floors. The University is also proposing to establish a pool of money to raise the minimum salary for certain non-tenure-track faculty positions.
- Promotion raises. All bargaining unit members who are tenure-track or tenured professors would receive a minimum 8% salary increase when awarded a promotion from assistant to associate or associate to full professor. Career non-tenure-track bargaining-unit faculty who achieve promotion would receive a minimum 6% increase for each of two career promotion possibilities.
- Tuition discounts for dependents. Faculty and staff already receiving a discounted tuition benefit for one dependent child attending an Oregon state university would qualify for discounted tuition for a second child enrolled in an undergraduate program at the University of Oregon.
- Family leave. A new parent would be guaranteed 12 weeks paid family leave.
- PERS “pick-up.” Should state law change regarding the 6% PERS “pick up,” the University would use any resulting savings to increase affected members’ salaries as allowed by law.
This package of salary and benefit proposals reflects the financial realities the UO currently faces. Students, parents and elected leaders have all voiced the need to keep tuition as affordable as possible and the UO is limited to raising resident undergraduate tuition by no more than 3.5 percent over the next two years.
At the same time, great care has been taken to ensure that these proposals also reflect the University’s strong desire to hire and retain talented instructors and researchers.
See the University’s detailed response to a United Academics request for information on projected revenues, expenses, tuition and fees: Economic Information
