University of Michigan lecturers’ union ratifies new contract

Three-year contract will span U-M’s three campuses

Credit: Michigan Photography

ANN ARBOR – The University of Michigan Lecturers’ Employee Organization has ratified a new three-year contract with U-M’s administration in a 660-23 vote with two abstentions.

The union, which represents 1,700 lecturers across U-M’s three campuses, shared information of the vote with the university on Sept. 19.

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LEO and university officials had been negotiating for nine months before coming to a tentative agreement on Sept. 13.

Over the contract’s three-year term, median lecturer salary will increase 15.8% across all U-M campuses, and minimum salaries for lecturers at U-M’s Dearborn and Flint campuses will increase by $10,000 by the end of the agreement.

One of LEO’s key objectives during the negotiating process was to achieve minimum-pay parity. The agreement will see the minimum salary for lecturers to rise to $51,000.

“In addition to eliminating the difference in minimum salaries among the three campuses, the new contract also addresses ‘leapfrogging’ concerns about the salaries of long-serving lecturers to stay ahead of newer lecturers, adds longevity pay to the contract and provides significant annual increases on all three campuses,” reads a U-M release.

Under the contract, annual salaries will be increased across all three campuses by 2.25%, 2.75% and 3.25%.

Other employment provisions like benefits eligibility, sick pay and layoff are also covered in the contract.