The first-ever contract between Eastern Michigan University and members of the bargaining team with the Federation of Teachers (Local 9102) was voted for ratification 14:15 by the Board of Regent in a regular meeting Tuesday.
The contract was drafted by the EMUFT to improve the status of non-tenure-track faculty, which, specifically counts for 800 instructional staff, field instructors and library staff teaching at least one credit hour or the equivalent non-credit instructional workload.
After the Board’s vote, the contract went into effect immediately.
Highlights of the contract include changes to pay and benefits, appointments, working conditions and professional respect and enforcement mechanisms.
Under the contract, six pay schedules will go into effect given the variety of appointments; a salary floor of $1,125 per credit hour will apply to most part-timers.
“This is the first time in 20 years there has been a raise in salary in many departments,” Zachary Jones, secretary of the union, said. “These are things that have needed to be done for a long time.”
Longevity payments, in addition, will be awarded based on the number of fall and winter semesters of employment a lecturer has had over the past four years, and a Dependent Flexible Spending account will be usable to employees with a 40-percent-or-more appointment.
Those who are employed 40 percent or more of the time will qualify for a tuition waiver program, which will provide for a waiver of 50 percent of the cost of tuition at a maximum of six credit hours per semester.
The method of at-will jobs have changed as well. Before the contract was ratified, no proper cause or evidence was needed for termination. With the contract, the
university is required to schedule yearly appointments instead of semester-by-semester appointments.
This will be available for those who have taught at least 18 credit hours during two of the last three academic years (not including spring or summer) and received satisfactory results in the contract’s new evaluation process.
Part-time lecturers will be required to complete a three-part evaluation process self-evaluation, student-evaluation and third-party evaluation. This will be expected of all part-timers who want another yearly appointment next fall. After a faculty member has received satisfactory results, the member will need to carry out another one after six semesters.
For the reason that most part-timers instruct at several establishments at a time, the union believes this will provide job security, and in turn, offer the university stability in loyal and hardworking teachers.
“I’m expecting this to affect everyone,” Jones, part-time geography professor for almost four years, said. “I’m already feeling a night-and-day change with the amount of respect I know I have with administration now.”
Last week, union members of the federation voted unanimously 91:0. Jones said 12 of those votes came from people who joined the union in order to vote and 28 volunteers worked at the polls.
“We were really surprised with all the support,” Jones said. “The willingness and participation of our union members really confirmed how well we educated them about the matter.”
The contract was presented to Board of Regents by Susan Moeller, President of EMU’s chapter of the American Association Union of Professors.
A provision in the contract will re-open it Sept. 1, 2012 in order to reach an agreement on health-care options. The union and university are obligated to decide by Jan. 1, 2013. In the meantime, part-timers might use the Snow Health Clinic at university staff rates.
