Labor contracts on board's Oct. 31 agenda
Oct. 30, 2003
KALAMAZOO -- The Western Michigan University Board of Trustees will convene by phone in a special conference call meeting set for 9:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 31, to consider recommendations to approve two new collective bargaining agreements with University employees.
Tentative agreement on a new three-year contract with Local 1668 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Michigan AFSCME Council 25, was reached in early October and ratified by a 3-to-1 margin during a union membership vote held Oct. 21. Approval by trustees is the last step in the process of finalizing the contract with nearly 500 custodial, dining services, grounds and maintenance employees at the University.
WMU trustees also will consider approving reopened segments of the University's existing contract with he Police Officers Association. The three-year contract was negotiated in 2002, but called for an economic reopener to be negotiated in July 2003. Members of the POA voted by a 2- to-1 margin Oct. 26 to ratify the new segments.
The conference call meeting will originate in the Connable Board Room of the Bernhard Center. Trustees will briefly go into an informal closed session before voting on the agreements.
Media contact: Matt Kurz, 269 387-8400, matt.kurz@wmich.edu