Sep. 27, 2017
CWU Trustees Approve New Collective Bargaining Agreement with Faculty
The Central Washington University Board of Trustees today unanimously approved a new contract with the United Faculty of Central (UFC) that provides a 3 percent raise to faculty during each of the next two years and a 2 percent raise in the third year of the agreement.
The agreement also provides $1 million to help equalize salary and benefits among faculty, increases funding for faculty professional development, and strengthens parental leave for faculty members, providing for up to 12 weeks of paid leave.
The three-year $11.7 million agreement is retroactive to September 1, 2017, and expires August 31, 2020. UFC members ratified the agreement earlier this week.
“This is a fair and reasonable agreement that recognizes the hard work of our faculty,” President James L. Gaudino said. “A big part of the record enrollment increases we’ve experienced in the past few years is having quality faculty who are recognized as being among the best in their fields.”
UFC President Matthew Altman added that faculty overwhelmingly approved the new agreement, which, he said, reinforces the university’s commitment to faculty and student research collaboration and continues the effort to make faculty salaries competitive with peer institutions.
The contract creates a review merit system providing non-tenure track faculty who have held “Senior” status for five or more years with the opportunity to apply for a merit increase if they are deemed meritorious during their evaluation. In the previous agreement, the university created a similar post-tenure review merit system for full professors and department chairs.
The agreement adds a new “phased retirement” program that allows tenured faculty who are at least 62 years of age to apply for a two-year, phased retirement. During phased retirement, the faculty member will work at 50 percent for two years, receiving prorated pay, but full insurance benefits.
Members of the respective bargaining teams included:
• UFC Bargaining Team:
Holly Pinkart (Biology) -- Bargaining Team Chair
Roxanne Easley (History)
Jason Knirck (History)
Janet Finke (Education, Development, Teaching, & Learning)
Gary Bartlett (Philosophy & Religious Studies)
Gary McNeil (WEA) -- Chief Negotiator
• CWU Bargaining Team:
Paul Ballard, Dean, College of Education and Professional Studies
Kathryn Martell, Dean, College of Business
Martha Kurtz, Associate Dean, College of the Sciences
Charlene Andrews, Faculty Relations Coordinator, Office of the Provost
Staci Sleigh-Layman, Executive Director, Human Resources
Ginger McIntosh, Administrative Assistant, Human Resources (clerical support)
Rod Younker, Summit Law Group, Chief Negotiator
Media contact: Richard Moreno, CWU Department of Public Affairs, 509-963-2714, Richard.Moreno@cwu.edu.