EMU, 2nd-largest union agree on contract
Regents must OK 4-year pact; they meet June 19
Friday, May 25, 2007
BY GEOFF LARCOM
News Staff Reporter
Eastern Michigan University and the union that represents its professional, technical and office workers have reached agreement on a four-year contract.
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The union voted this week to approve the agreement 139-74, said Dave Wilcox, president of UAW Local 1976.
Terms of the agreement include a retroactive raise of $1,260 for this year, dating back to last July 1. Workers will receive a raise of $1,406 for this coming year, the academic year 2007-08, and $1,563 for the third year of the contract, said Dave Trakul, director of employee relations for EMU. The final year will provide a 3 percent raise.
The agreement also includes new medical benefit language, which goes into effect Jan. 1. Employees may choose one of two options, one that involves cost-sharing and one that doesn’t.
“I’m pleased that it passed,” Wilcox said. “We’re trying to make (the contract) work for our membership, and I think it did. … I feel we’re doing the right thing for our membership, especially in these tough economic times.”
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http://www.mlive.com/news/aanews/index.ssf?/base/news-22/1180104371306140.xml&coll=2
Nice to know the contract is settled. However, the Free Press had an article on some very large cuts in aid to Michigan Universities this morning 5-30-07. For EMU: $1.2 million in cuts from the State and a delayed payment of $3 million+. If the University won’t cut things across the board, what will be cut? Anybody have any info. on this?
That’s the sort of thing that’s going to make for an interesting summer for my suited friends. I do think though that there was much anticipation of these cuts. In other words, it wasn’t as if it was a big surprise that this was coming.
Actually, you are also hitting on something that I was planning on adding as a topic of discussion here soon too. But that will have to be a little later. I don’t think that these cuts are going to have any impact on things like PT or faculty contracts though.
We (the PT union) have already heard that more position cuts are on the way.
Interestingly, I found this post on one of the commie- pinko- leftist- Worldwide-Islamunistofascist-Conspiracy-Demislamunistofascistsatanic-Party -type blogs I read:
http://tinyurl.com/23o9fd
And may I recommend http://tinyurl.com for those links that get WAY too long?