NMU pact approved

MARQUETTE - Some Northern Michigan University faculty have approved a new contract while technical and office professional workers said no to a proposed agreement.

The technical and office personnel rejected a three-year contract due to salary and health care issues, according to said union president Susan Tollefson.

"A lot of it was salary and health care," she said. "We did a lot of other language changes and there was a lot of misunderstanding."

Tollefson and 162 other technical and office professionals are part of the International Union of United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, Local 1950.

The deal offered by NMU was rejected by the union's 102 members with 41 voting for it, Tollefson said.

The union has its next negotiating meeting with the university on Thursday and Tollefson said a revamped contract will be presented to NMU.

"We're hopeful to get a lot of the issues solved," she said.

While one NMU union rejected a deal, another union accepted a contract.

The NMU Faculty Association union ratified a new three-year contract, which was approved by the NMU Board of Trustees recently.

The NMU Faculty Association represents teachers in the university's diploma, certificate, one- and two-year degree and some baccalaureate programs.

The contract includes a 4-percent salary increase for the 2008-09 academic year. According to an NMU press release, the increase is equal to those of the American Association of University Professors, the other faculty union on campus.

Salary increases for the other two years will be determined in the upcoming negotiations with the AAUP, which start in spring.

The press release stated the contract also includes "clarification for the group's promotion policy, promotion salary increases and annual evaluation process, as well as bringing the group's dental and optical plans into the overall university plan rather than operating a separate plan."

The vote totals were 18 for, one who abstained and four not present to vote.