Lecturer Bargaining Update: Bargaining Recap for 4/23/21

Admin disrespects all Lecturers with an insulting salary offer!

In the morning we had a presentation from Jill Darling (Dearborn Writing) on our Professional Development counter-proposal, with testimony from Lise Urbaczewski (Dearborn Business). We have significantly reduced our initial request for the fund (though it is still a substantial increase of the current pot) and are proposing a streamlined application process with no deadlines.

Bob King (Ann Arbor Residential College) sent back management’s Felony Disclosure proposal with the language completely struck out. We also sent back the struck-out cover sheet since we rejected management’s package proposal on Salary, Professional Development, Childcare, and Felony Disclosure.

Management asked questions on MOU 2 (moving part-time lecturers to full-time), to understand our proposed language on facilitating internal hires before posting. We will present our counter this Friday, April 30.

Management gave us counters on Layoff and Job Security for which we are close to reaching agreement. We did reach agreement in three areas: We are ready to TA (sign a tentative agreement) on Academic Calendar (acknowledging the August start date to the academic year), and we signed TAs on Articles XVII on Benefits Eligibility and XVIII on Benefits Plans.

The defining moment of the day was Management’s Salary counter at 1pm, which was underwhelming and insulting. The only change was to longevity pay, in the form of a modest base adjustment that would come in your 19th year of teaching. As for the rest: pitiful increases to starting pay, no tandem raise, modest annual increases, and no money to support Dearborn and Flint. After a brief caucus, we returned to the table to express our frustration and disappointment. Then we quit bargaining for the day.

Members left the final caucus of the day fired up to organize for decent and equitable raises -- especially after a grueling year -- that befit professional college instructors at the wealthiest public university in the country.

We are expecting management’s first counter proposal on Teaching Professor this Friday.