Fact-finder favors CMU in Faculty Association salaries, benefits
A state fact-finder is supporting administration proposals on salaries and health care benefits in its negotiations with the Faculty Association.
Fact-finder Barry Goldman’s non-binding set of findings came Tuesday in an attempt to break an impasse in the four-month old contract talks, in which mediation already has failed.
In findings for CMU’s proposed zero-percent salary increase for 2011-12 and small increases in years two and three, Goldman dismissed FA’s contention that CMU has $228 million in unrestricted net assets that could be used to fund more generous raises.
“The CMU proposal of a zero increase in the first year and modest increases in subsequent years is not an unreasonable offer, all things considered. Circumstances (in the Michigan economy) are bad and getting worse. It would be extremely unwise for CMU to eat its seed corn,” Goldman said of the union’s contention.
He also called CMU’s position on maintaining all employees on a less expensive heath care insurance plan “eminently fair,” saying that if FA members want the more expensive MESSA plan, its members alone should pay the difference.
Further, Goldman said FA’s proposal to give 12-month faculty a $600 signing bonus once the contract is resolved might be illegal.
“Laudable as that goal may be, there is some question whether the proposed bonus would violate Public Act 54’s prohibition against retroactive benefit increases,” he said. “I find the record before me does not justify the bonus.”
Regarding retirement, the fact-finder sided with the FA and rejected CMU’s proposal for retirement contribution for those on a 10-percent plan to be based on base salary only.
“I do not see any compelling reason for the change to contributions calculated on base salary only,” he said. “The fact that the University could save the money is not sufficient to justify eliminating an existing, bargained-for benefit.”
The fact-finder agreed with CMU’s argument to eliminate language regarding payments to faculty members attaining terminal degrees.
Goldman agreed with the FA’s promotion increment argument that CMU’s proposal to roll back amounts to pre-2006-07 levels and allow the increments to rise back to 2010-11 levels over the next two years would penalize those who obtained promotions in 2011 and 2012. The loss to base would compound those faculty members for the rest of their careers, according to the FA’s argument.
“Perhaps, as the university argues, the promotion increments currently in place are more generous than "market."
But I am going to assume that those increments were bargained into existence by competent negotiators acting in good faith,” he said. “The record before me does not show sufficient grounds to roll them back.” Goldman recommended the faculty members are required no more than one annual meeting with each non-tenured faculty member.
He agreed with CMU that annual meetings with non-tenured faculty are a good idea, but he also agreed with the FA that it was “redundant and pointless” to require a faculty member to attend conferences for assistance to bargaining unit members and meetings on reappointment, tenure and promotion policies in the same year.
College deans can call meetings with faculty members whenever necessary.
He recommended current contract language on salary adjustment and reappointment applications.
“I see no compelling reason on this record either to extend the period before a faculty member can apply for a salary adjustment or to reduce the number of reappointment applications required before a tenure application would be required,” he said.
Goldman recommended a blending of the CMU and FA proposals on tuition remission.
He said he sees no compelling reason to increase the number of eligible credits or extend the program to courses taken outside of CMU, and he also sees no compelling reason the program should not apply to CMED or any other CMU program if it is capped as the FA suggests.
Goldman did not give a recommendation on recognizing coaches hired on or after July 1, 2011 or faculty who are primarily appointed to the College of Medicine or other CMU First Professional Degree programs.
He agreed with the FA’s argument that the issue of unit composition was not properly before him, and adopted Fact Finder William Long’s ruling in Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital and Michigan Nurses Association that the proposal will not be addressed in the report because both parties have not submitted the issue to the fact finder.