The University of Vermont and its part-time faculty have reached agreement on a new contract.
“We are pleased that the mediation process has led to an agreement with our part-time faculty,” said Wanda Heading-Grant, vice president for Human Resources, Diversity and Multicultural Affairs at UVM.
The part-time faculty, represented by United Academics, have been formally negotiating since February and have been preparing for this round since October 2014. The bargaining unit represents 163 part-time faculty members.
“This agreement is a huge gain for part-time faculty, establishing more respect for our work and a key first step toward some job security, said Brian Tokar, a part-time lecturer in Environmental Studies and member of the bargaining team.
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, the salary pool will be adjusted providing declining increases in pay starting in 2016 with a 3.25 percent increase, followed with a 3 percent increase in 2017 and a 2.5 percent increase in 2018.
While welcoming the decision, Tokar said he remains wary, “at the same time, these gains are being undermined by a new budget model and other administrative changes behind the scenes at UVM. Our union is pledged to keep a close eye on those changes,” he said.
Heading-Grant said keeping college costs down for students plays a part in the administration’s goals.
“We believe that the new contract will provide a good balance between our strategic goals of investing in academic quality and value, and keeping UVM affordable and accessible for students, consistent with our strategic action plan,” she said.
