The Maine Labor Relations Board Fact Finding panel's report of findings and recommendations, originally due on October 26, 2012, has been delayed to November 30, 2012, due a medical issue.

In anticipation of the report, the AFUM Negotiating Team will meet on November 30. We have scheduled two negotiating sessions with the Board of Trustees representatives on December 7 and 14.

For further information, please see the previous news item, "Fact Finding in Process."

In our second academic year without a contract, which has happened before we are in the Fact-finding process for the first time. For details, see the University of Maine Labor Relations Act (http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/26/title26ch12sec0.html), especially http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/26/title26sec1026.html, but be prepared to read some other referenced statutes for the full picture.

Fact-finding hearings are complete, and the panel’s report of findings and recommendations is due on 10/26/2012. After that, the parties will have 45 days for further negotiations. If the parties still have not reached agreement at that point, arbitration is the appropriate subsequent step.

The remaining unsettled issues are: academic freedom, privacy of electronic records/files, workload (individualized instruction, online instruction), compensation, retirement incentive, health plan changes, tuition waiver, proportion of instruction by non-unit employees, and term of agreement. Clearly, some of these are more easily settled than others. For example, we customarily enter into 2-year contracts, but given the delays, a three-year contract (the maximum allowed) is possible if we can agree on the other issues. Otherwise, we will begin the next negotiating cycle early next semester.

This is a situation of uncertainty, but it is an accurate description of our contract status. The Fact-finding report will add much more clarity. We are hopeful that we can reach agreement when that is in hand.

For further information please contact a member of the AFUM Negotiating Team.

August 18, 2011

We are without a contract. We have met regularly with the administration since last spring to negotiate a successor to the contract that expired on June 30, 2011.

We continue our efforts to improve circumstances that have stagnated in recent years. We have made numerous contract proposals, financial and otherwise, with responses ranging from disinterest to outright rejection. The most important issues, which the administration seems reluctant to address, are financial.

UMS has posted record surpluses in recent years -- $55 million last year and over $20 million projected this year. A business would call these profits. Tuition increases significantly every year, but UMS compensation and benefits actually declined last year. What’s wrong with this picture? Please tell every administrator that faculty deserve a fair contract now.