After 10 months of negotiations, the University of Vermont and its full-time faculty union, United Academics, have reached a preliminary collective bargaining agreement, potentially paving the way for improved wages and benefits for faculty.
“This tentative agreement with United Academics demonstrates our collective commitment to providing an accessible, affordable, and high-quality educational experience for our students, while also ensuring that UVM remains competitive in offering fair salaries and benefits for its dedicated employees,” said Chris Lehman, chief human resources officer for UVM, in a press release Tuesday.
United Academics, which represents over 800 University of Vermont employees, said on its website that wages have not kept pace with the cost of living in the Burlington area, making it one of the key aspects of the agreement.
The agreement has not yet been ratified by the union’s members or approved by the UVM Board of Trustees. United Academics has scheduled a Dec. 2 meeting for its members to review and discuss the tentative agreement, with ratification ballots set to be distributed later that day.
Both the university and the union declined further comment until the deal is finalized.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly described the union that reached the tentative agreement with the University of Vermont.
