Academy for Academic Personnel Administration
Fall 2003
Round Table Report
1. Institution Information
Name of Institution/System: University of Maine System
Name of Individual Responding: Frank C. Gerry
Title of Individual Responding: Director of Labor Relations
2a. Description of Faculty Bargaining Unit(s) – Size and Composition
Full-time Faculty Unit of approximately 1,300 tenure, tenure-track and fixed term faculty, includes certain non-major athletic coaches and research (on-teaching) faculty
Bargaining Agent: Associated Faculties of the University of Maine System MEA/NEA
Date of First Contract: 1970s
Number of Succeeding Contracts: 20+
2b. Description of Faculty Bargaining Unit(s) – Size and Composition
Part-time Faculty Unit, approximately 600 less than full time lecturers and ranked faculty
Bargaining Agent: Part-Time Faculty Association AFT/AFL-CIO
Date of First Contract: 1980s
Number of Succeeding Contracts: 8+
3. Activity Report (e.g., status of current agreement or negotiations, details of last contract settlement, etc.):
At the table with both faculty units. University is seeking two year agreement to expire June 30, 2005. Current offer is one and one half a percent in each of the two years across the board and an additional one half of one percent in each year to fund new post tenure compensation program.(see below).
Union is seeking 2.5% and one year contract and certain governance issues that that include the mandate that only full time faculty can be considered as peers for numerous unspecified contractual and non contractual activities.
Major issues, compression of faculty salaries
Health insurance premiums are to increase by 14% July 1, 2003, and additional 13% January 1, 2004 and an additional 15% on January 1, 2005
4. Special or noteworthy happenings (e.g., relevant arbitration or court decisions, organizing campaigns, labor agency decisions, etc.)
Last agreement,, was the first to tie compensation to the outcome of the post tenure review process. Approximately 25% of the unit was eligible. Tenured faculty are evaluated once every four years. Faculty judged satisfactory received a 3.5% salary adjustment. For stellar performance or equity issues the administration could supplement that amount up to an additional 3.5% for a total maximum amount of 7%.
Program sparked great interest in the post tenure review process and put real meaning to the reviews, in many cases for the first time. The vast majority of those eligible received the base amount. About 7 faculty members were rejected either by their peer committee or the administration. Departments that had paid almost no attention to the post tenure review are now examining their procedures and approaching this review with renewed vigor and interest. The University intends to run the porgram for at least two cycles of review or for the next eight years. A joint committee of administrators and faulty over the operation of the program on a System level and resolve any issues that might arise as to individual eligibility and the like.
5. Special happenings related to fiscal issues (e.g., salary reductions, health and dental insurance costs, reductions in force, early retirement programs, program consolidation or elimination, etc.):
Major take backs or de-appropriations of about $9 million for the last fiscal year. Governor promises 0 of FY04 and 0 in FY05, with no further mid-year curtailments.