AFSCME and WMU reach tentative agreement
Oct. 10, 2003
KALAMAZOO -- Representatives from Local 1668 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Michigan AFSCME Council 25, and Western Michigan University have reached tentative agreement on a new three-year labor contract.
Details of the agreement are being withheld pending ratification by the union membership and approval by the WMU Board of Trustees. The union membership will vote on the tentative agreement Monday, Oct. 20. Trustees will schedule their consideration of the contract following the union vote and pending union ratification.
AFSCME represents nearly 500 custodial, dining services, grounds and maintenance employees at the University.
The AFSCME tentative agreement represents the second set of labor negotiations completed at the University this year. Negotiations on wage and health care issues were opened in the second year of a three-year contract with the WMU chapter of the American Association of University Professors and were concluded in September. That agreement was ratified by an AAUP membership vote Oct. 1. The WMU Board of Trustees approved the agreement during an Oct. 7 conference call meeting.
"We deeply appreciate the fine work of the AFSCME and AAUP negotiating teams as well as that of the administration's negotiating team," said WMU President Judith I. Bailey following the trustees' approval of the AAUP agreement. "We look forward to seeing the results of the AFSCME membership vote,"
Media contact: Cheryl Roland, 269 387-8400, cheryl.roland@wmich.edu