Faculty at two UMass campuses agree to wage freeze this year

February 24, 2009 02:28 PM Email| Comments (9)| Text size – +

By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff

Faculty at the Boston and Amherst campuses of the University of Massachusetts have agreed to a three-year contract that freezes their wages for the current academic year.

After more than a year of negotiations, unions of faculty and librarians at the two public universities reached a tentative deal Friday with university officials. The new contract raises salaries by 1.5 percent in the coming academic year and 3.5 percent the following year. The full unions are expected to ratify the agreement in the next two weeks.

At UMass-Amherst, full professors earn an average of $117,000 a year. All faculty earn an average of $90,000, according to university statistics.

Union leaders said they accepted the wage freeze to help the university tackle a large budget deficit brought on by reduced state subsidies, and urged administrators to shelve plans for a hefty student fee increase.

Professors at the Dartmouth and Lowell campuses are still negotiating.

"Given the current state of the Massachusetts economy, we concluded that we must accept this pay freeze," said Randall Phillis, president of the Massachusetts Society of Professors, the union at UMass-Amherst. "Our effort is intended to help UMass students afford their education and UMass workers keep their jobs."

Phillis said he also hoped the wage freeze would help prevent layoffs and program cuts. Officials at UMass Amherst, facing a nearly $50 million deficit, are mulling a broad campus reorganization to reduce administrative costs.

University officials say the wage freeze is largely unrelated to the budget deficit and that any raise would have been financed by the state legislature.

On Friday, UMass trustees are expected to approve a $1,500 increase in student fees, a 15 percent increase that would bring annual tuition costs for in-state undergraduates to an average of $11,000. The extra revenue will also substantially boost financial aid.

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9 comments so far...

How is getting a raise of 1.5 percent this year and 3.5 percent next year a wage freeze? Someone please explain this to me? Must be the new math they are teaching there?

Posted by BobW February 24, 09 03:11 PM

I didn't get it either...

Posted by cb February 24, 09 07:37 PM

They state it's a 3 year contract. That means zero raise for the "current year", meaning THIS year, 1.5 in the "coming year" which means NEXT year, and then 3.5 in year 3. It is typical to go into a year without a contract, as they seem to have here. You get last years pay this year till a new contract is worked out. So if they had recieved a raise this year, it would be retroactive to September 2008. So in effect, they get the same pay this year as last with no back pay due to them.

Posted by BD February 24, 09 08:10 PM

what about 10% paycuts across for all those making over 100,000 instead of raising student fees! Raises should not part of any state employees contracts and no negotiations - if you don't like it - find another job !

Posted by amac February 24, 09 08:33 PM

The 1.5 percent is next year and the 3.5 percent is the year after next.

Posted by PB February 24, 09 08:47 PM

seriously, university faculty spend years at low wages going to graduate school beyond what most people do, and are highly educated individuals. while in graduate school most incurred debts and lived on very little. they have worked hard and deserve to be compensated for their specialized credentials. and those who teach at public universities -- a bargain still -- are paid less well than those who teach at private schools which cost a lot more.

or should we hire less qualified professors for less money?

Posted by Chloe February 24, 09 09:20 PM

Chloe - they're being paid on the public dole, remember? If they think that due to their prior "sacrifices" they can/should make more money, let them do so in the PRIVATE sector. Given the liberal junk most of the UM faculty seem to spew I personally think we're getting about a 0% return on our investment in teacher salaries.

Posted by G February 25, 09 12:34 PM

Obama's "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act" signed into law on February 17th covers UMass - we do not need the $1500 fee hike. The universities have their own agendas to expand in a time of recession, an idea that will cost students thousands of dollars.
UMass students - let your administration know that you do not think this is a good idea and that we all should wait until the economic climate is right to initiate new building projects and university expansion.
Join the Massachusetts Student Action Coalition (MSAC) at UMass Dartmouth on Friday at 9:00 AM to protest the fee hike.

Join

Posted by Alex February 25, 09 01:26 PM

Why not impose a one-year salary freeze on ALL employees including ALL faculty across every UMASS campus (Amherst, Boston, Lowell, Worcester, Dartmouth)? It would be more fair than increasing the cost of Umass tuition for students. Many corporations are mandating employee-wide wage freezes, why not all employees at UMASS?

Posted by Sharon February 28, 09 05:33 PM