YPSILANTI, Mich. – The university administration’s salary proposal to the Eastern Michigan University faculty union was rejected on Monday.
The proposal on Saturday called for every full-time faculty member at the university to receive a salary increase in the first year of the agreement. The proposed salary increase would range from 4%-8%. Also included in the proposal was a $3,600 increase to every base salary, which will offset the increase in faculty health care costs.
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According to a press release, the union rejected the university administration’s proposal, and instead demanded an increase of 8.4% in base salary for the first year of a new agreement, which was a reduction from its initial 9.5% proposal. The union also proposed a 4% increase, plus a $4,000 increase to every base salary, in the first year, with an increase of 4.5% in years two and three.
“The administration’s bargaining team, most of whom have worked as both faculty and academic administrators, continue to approach these negotiations fairly and respectfully and are determined to find solutions to reach a fair agreement,” said Rhonda Longworth, provost and executive vice president for academic and student affairs. “Unfortunately, the latest demands from the union do not move us substantially closer to a final agreement yet.”
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The Eastern Michigan University faculty union also hopes to see an increase in dental coverage for all those who work at the university, and for faculty to not pay for parking on campus.
“Significant work still needs to be done by the August 31 deadline. As I stated previously, a key consideration behind all of our efforts in these negotiations is to balance what we do at the bargaining table with the impact of increased costs on our students,” said Longworth.
Below is a comparative chart that shows recent faculty salary increases at comparable universities.