Contract talks between the University of Michigan and the Lecturers’ Employee Organization are expected to resume in mid-May. Negotiations began Oct. 27, 2017.
The contract with LEO, the union representing 1,700 nontenure-track instructors on all three campuses, expires May 29.
In its most recent offer regarding salary, the university offered significant increases to both the minimum salaries and the base salaries of existing lecturers. The university also offered one-time equity raises for most lecturers based on years of service as well as annual increases for all lecturers over the life of the three-year contract.
The university is committed to negotiating regularly and in good faith until an agreement is reached.
Details of the university’s latest salary offer can be found at hr.umich.edu/about-leo.
Kirsten Herold
This is a rather one-sided account of what is happening. As LEO bargaining team manager, I do not appreciate the suggestion that somehow LEO is not bargaining in good faith. It is true that bargaining is on hiatus for a total of 12 days. This is an part because I am away on personal business, as I am every year at this time — a fact that has been known to the U’s bargaining team for months.
Secondly, LEO is as eager as management to come back to the table. Any suggestion to the contrary is simply not true.
Thirdly, if bargaining is dragging out, it is not due to lack of efforts on LEO’s side. We presented our salary proposal on October 27. We received our first counter more than 100 days later, which was essentially a status quo proposal that enraged the members in the room. Progress has been made since, but it has been exceedingly slow at times.
Finally, there is absolutely no harm in both sides having a short break from bargaining. As Mr. Fitzgerald’s statement notes, we have been at it since late October, and we are all exhausted. Unlike the U’s team, which is paid for their efforts, our team is almost entirely volunteers (with a small stipend for the notetaker and team manager). We look forward to returning refreshed and energized to the final weeks of bargaining, starting this Friday May 11.