ANN ARBOR – The University of Michigan and the Lecturers’ Employee Organization reached a tentative agreement on Monday on a new contract.
Representatives from both parties issued a joint statement, announcing that minimum salaries for lecturers on both the Dearborn and Flint campuses will increase by $10,000 under the new contract. The move will help to achieve salary uniformity across all three campuses -- one of the union’s key objectives.
Recommended Videos
The new agreement also adds longevity pay, addresses concerns over long-serving lecturers’ salaries and will give substantial yearly increases across all three U-M campuses. It also covers other employment plans of lecturers, including benefits eligibility, sick pay and layoff.
The union has been bargaining with the university administration since January. The threat of a looming strike hovered over negotiations over the past several weeks, with the existing agreement set to expire on Sept. 25.
“We’re delighted to have reached this agreement. We had amazing support for our membership and believe reaching parity in starting salaries across campuses is a huge milestone for our members,” Kirsten Herold, LEO president, lead negotiator and lecturer in the School of Public Health in Ann Arbor said in a release.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement that provides a fair salary and maintains the university’s goal of providing much needed flexibility in benefits, as well as continuing security for lecturers,” chief negotiator for the university Dominick Fanelli said in a release.
More details about the agreement will be made public following a ratification vote LEO has planned for this week.