New pact with power plant employees approved
Jan. 19, 2001
KALAMAZOO -- Western Michigan University's Board of Trustees today ratified a four-year labor contract with the University's power plant employees.
The board approved the agreement with the Michigan State Employees Association, which was ratified by MSEA members Dec. 11. The parties agreed to a 2 percent lump sum bonus in the first year of the agreement, a 2.5 percent across-the-board increase in the second and third years, and a 3 percent increase in the fourth year.
The University and the MSEA have been working together for more than a year to enhance the operating efficiency of WMU's power plant. The contract calls for a new, more flexible organizational structure that emphasizes cross training and reduces the number of job classifications from seven to three. This new structure will allow the University to operate the plant with 14 staff members, a reduction from the current 19 employees, by the end of fiscal year 2004-05. WMU administrators are working with union officials to achieve those staff reductions by attrition or transfers to other University positions over the next four years.
Media contact: Jessica English, 616 387-8400, jessica.english@wmich.edu