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Professors' union at WMU reaches a tentative agreement with the school

Five students and faculty standing against the wall hold posters at a WMU Board of Trustees meeting. Four of them wear black  union t-shirts.  One is in a striped dress shirt. And one wears a ball cap on his head.
Leona Larson
/
WMUK
Members of the WMU-AAUP and student supporters stand and hold signs in a packed Board of Trustees meeting at the new Student Center on Sept. 26.

One week after a crowded and contentious Board of Trustees meeting, Western Michigan University reached a tentative agreement with tenured professors on salaries and healthcare.

Western Michigan University’s faculty union, the WMU chapter of the AAUP, made the announcement of a tentative agreement online Thursday.

On Facebook, the union said the agreement was the product of “a grueling fight extending a month beyond the negotiation deadline.”

AAUP was negotiating to bring compensation in line with inflation after members took wage cuts during the pandemic.

The tentative deal covers healthcare and pay. The union admits it did not get everything it asked for but called the overall results “good.”

If the contract is ratified, full-time tenured professors will see a 4% retroactive wage increase this year and another 3.25% hike next year, plus an additional one-time lump-sum-payment of $1000 in year two.

In an email, the University administration said it was “pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with the WMU-AAUP.”

Leona has worked as a journalist for most of her life - in radio, print, television and as journalism instructor. She has a background in consumer news, special projects and investigative reporting.