LEOunion.org

The LEO-UM bargaining road-show moved to Flint on March 26, with the two sides meeting in the University Center at UM-Flint.  Several Flint LEO members turned out to talk with the LEO team and witness the negotiations. The session went late into the day. 

In the morning, the LEO team presented an extensive package in response to the package that administration team presented last week at Dearborn.  The LEO package covers elements of several articles:  salary, benefits, term of agreement, no strike, special cases, appointments, layoff and recall,  and performance evaluation.   Some of the bedrock principles represented by the union's package proposal are

• salary raises with the long-term goal of achieving equity with the other instructional staff
• protection from the new benefits premiums that would disproportionately cut lecturers' pay
• fair, equitable treatment for Lecturers I
• enhanced job security for all lecturers
• streamlined procedures for renewing the appointments of long-time lecturers (those who have already passed two major reviews)

The administration team discussed the package in caucus, and returned to the table to ask several questions about it.  While the two sides remain far apart on economic issues, they appear to be moving closer on some non-economic issues.

Bargaining will resume on Friday, April 2, at the School of Social Work in Ann Arbor.