2007-2009 Master Agreement

The UNI-United Faculty Negotiations Committee and the Bargaining Team for the Board of Regents (BOR) came to a voluntary settlement for a new Master Agreement for the period of July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2009. The agreement was ratified at a United Faculty membership meeting on February 19 th ,2007 and I expect that by the time you read this it will have been approved by the BOR on March 13th. My comments here will include a few general reflections about the just completed negotiation process, a list of contractual changes, and brief comments about additional issues raised during negotiations.

Last fall in The Union Line I noted that the BOR would have a new Chief Negotiator this year, and that hopefully there would be an opportunity for more substantive discussion between the two bargaining teams. From my perspective, we did have more open and productive discussion. And unlike past bargaining cycles, we were able to come to agreement on much of the new contract before an outside mediator entered the process. That is not to say there were not tough negotiations, and there were a number of topics proposed by one side or the other upon which we simply could not reach agreement. But there was more discussion across the table than in the past, and we were given reasons for the responses to our proposals.

As always, we began negotiations with a number of proposals of great importance to our faculty colleagues that did not make it into the new contract. Given the constraints of Iowa collective bargaining law which severely limits topics within the required scope of negotiations, I am satisfied with the settlement. I encourage you to continue to bring forward issues of importance to you in future negotiation cycles. Positive changes sometimes do occur after several unsuccessful but persistent bargaining efforts.

The changes in the new contract will be:

• A new sub-division in the contract providing a definition for same or opposite-sex domestic partners. (1.14)
• Improved and more realistic procedures for the receipt of various institutional reports and information by UNI-UF. (2.1)
• A commitment by the employer to make a good faith effort to resolve faculty parking concerns, and to report by April 15 th of each year efforts taken to address those concerns. (2.7)
• Change in appointment dates for the summer terms, with appointment by March 15 th for the May term and by April 15 th for the June and July terms. (6.2)
• Following Professional Development Assignments, recipients are to return to full-time employment for a period twice as long as the PDA. This change simply brought the contract language into compliance with state law. (7.041)
• Increases by the same percentage as the percentage of wage increase each year for summer research fellowships, travel and related expenses, promotions, part-time salaries, and minimum salary guidelines. (7.431, 7.432, 7.6, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4 & Appendix A)
• Salary increases to be distributed according to the traditional distribution formula averaging 3% for 2007/2008 and 4% for 2008/2009. (8.0 & 8.1) [These are average increases, actual increases will depend upon an individual's base salary as well as various factors related to distributions per the individual adjustment component of the formula.]
• Revised wording about appeal conferences to provide for attendance by the chair of the departmental PAC or his/her designee. (11.32)

Three other important issues were included in the initial BOR proposal.

We did not agree to establish a committee to design a post-tenure review process. Our position is that tenured faculty members are already evaluated annually, and that the current contract provides avenues to resolve specific personnel problems related to tenured faculty members. We could not agree to set in motion a process that would, in essence, change tenured faculty appointments to six-year renewable term appointments.

There were also proposals for a significant change to health insurance coverage and to shift more of the financial burden for health insurance coverage to faculty members. While we were not willing to agree to changes to our health insurance coverage, we understand that rising health care costs are very important. So we did agree to establish a committee with representatives of both parties to study the issue of health insurance costs. [My suggestion is that each of us let our elected federal officials know that the problems in our nation's health care system must be resolved at the national level. To try to address those problems on an employer-by-employer or plan-by-plan basis will simply result in reduced coverage, ever rising costs for individuals, and growing numbers of people who are uninsured.]

Another BOR proposal was to establish clinical faculty appointments. While we believe there is positive potential for clinical appointments in some situations, there are important concerns that need additional study and consideration. A committee with representatives of both parties will be formed to study the issue and develop recommendations.

The members of your Negotiation Committee worked hard on your behalf and I hope you'll take the opportunity to thank them when the occasion presents itself. The members of the U.F. Negotiations Committee were Karen Breitbach, Barbara Cutter, Roberta Devilla, Jeffrey Funderburk, Joe Gorton, Hans Isakson, Bob Krueger, Kurt Meridith, Chris Neuhaus, Dan Power, Jesse Swan, Frank Thompson (ex-officio as U.F. President), Chuck Quirk (Chief Negotiator & U.F. Executive Director), and Brian Gruhn (Attoney at Law).

I'm confident that I can speak on behalf of all committee members by encouraging those of you who are not UNI-UF members to join, and if you're already a member, to recruit a colleague to join. The larger our membership, the better position we will be in to represent you in the next negotiations cycle in two years.

Thomas Kessler

UNI-UF Negotiations Committee Chair

2005-2007 Master Agreement

First, Health Insurance:  Healthcare benefits will be maintained at the same level of benefits as in previous contracts.   Single coverage will be fully paid by the Iowa BOR.  Family coverage premium expenses will be shared with the university paying 75% of the premium and the faculty picking up the remaining 25%.

Second, Salary and other Monetary Benefits: 

2005-06:  July 01, 2005 through December 30, 2005: 1.5% increase

                January 01, 2006 through June 30, 2006: 1% increase

               Total 2005-06 increase: 2.5%

2006-07: July 01, 2006 to December 30, 2006: 2.0% increase

               January 01, 2007 to June 30, 2007: 1.5% increase

               Total 2006-07 increase: 3.5%

All monetary items in the Master Agreement are increased by these amounts.

Third, Probationary Appointments:  If the Dept. Head does not follow the recommendation of the PAC, the Dept. Head must provide the PAC with written rationale and their recommendation at the time it goes to the Dean.

                                The Role of Academic Freedom at UNI

                               A. Frank Thompson, President UF-AAUP

On behalf of the United Faculty and AAUP I want to welcome you to the community scholars known as the University of Northern Iowa and to offer best wishes for the 2002-03 academic year.  UNI has built a strong reputation in the areas of teaching, research and service out of a history of faculty commitment to education.  126 years ago our university was created on the grounds of an orphanage that served the children of civil war soldiers.  UNI emerged from a K through 12 public school that was started to teach children reading, writing and arithmetic.  While we may have added a few more subjects and increased the age of our students over the years, our purpose is still the same in terms of helping others learn, explore and become life-long scholars. 

As scholars, faculty ask questions, examine new alternatives to old problems, and critically debate issues.  It is in our very nature, as faculty, to seek a fair discussion of ideas and concepts based on facts.  A main foundation for discovery is the quest for new knowledge by questioning and challenging current paradigms.  Sometimes asking too many questions or challenging existing ways of thought can get teachers into trouble.  Just ask Socrates or Galileo.    87 years ago AAUP came into existence after the firing of an Economics professor at Stanford university.   Professor Ross’s research and theories were at variance with Mr. Leland Stanford’s views on the gold standard.  Ross was fired not on the basis of his work in the classroom or record of publication, but rather his lack of loyalty to the views of the university administration and founder of the institution.  Fortunately, some good came out of a poor university decision. Professor Ross was not killed for heresy, he continued to do university teaching and eventually his views on the gold standard were acknowledged to be better than those of Mr. Stanford.   More importantly, universities across the US endorse AAUP principles on shared governance, tenure, professional values and standards, and due process.   We as faculty members have benefited greatly from AAUP’s commitment to securing these principles on our campus.  Over the years the UF-AAUP has enjoyed open communication with the UNI administration and a mutual respect for faculty rights to shared governance, tenure, professional values and standards and due process.  As we begin this new academic year, we invite you to become a part of UF-AAUP in its efforts to work with the UNI administration to improve faculty working conditions on campus.  As part of this collegial effort to bring faculty and administrators together UF-AAUP is sponsoring a reception at the end of this meeting at the entrance to Lang Hall Auditorium.  We extend best wishes to all at UNI, the students, faculty, staff and administrators as we seek together to make UNI a place of learning, scholarly activity and a community of scholars that debate issues.   Thank you.