WMU News

Trustees ratify contracts with faculty union, University police group

Oct. 8, 1999

KALAMAZOO -- Western Michigan University's Board of Trustees ratified new contracts Oct. 7 with the University's faculty union and with WMU's Police Officers Association.

The board unanimously approved a three-year contract with the WMU Chapter of the American Association University Professors. The collective bargaining agreement was reached in July and members of the AAUP chapter ratified the new agreement Sept. 7 with a 93 percent vote of approval. The board's ratification was the final step in the process.

More competitive salaries is a key component of the contract. It includes an across-the-board salary increase of 4 percent in each of the three years; a 2 1/2 percent increase in the first year and a 1/2 percent in each of the last two years to recognize the University's meeting the current criteria for Research II status; a salary compression adjustment of 1/2 percent in the second year; and administrative merit increases of 1/2 percent in each of the first two years.

WMU President Elson Floyd urged the board to approve the contract in his remarks at the opening of the board meeting.

"I strongly support this contract and urge the board to give it its approval...so that our faculty will have a long overdue salary adjustment," he said. "After all, they are faculty members at one of the nation's top 100 public universities."

The board met in executive session to consider the agreement between the University and the Police Officers Association. When they emerged, trustees voted unanimously to approve a three-year agreement with that group.

Media contact: Matt Kurz, 616 387-8400, matt.kurz@wmich.edu


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