2.5 percent wage raise for two University of Toledo unions

A pay raise of 2.5 percent is coming for many University of Toledo employees, after one union group finalized a contract Sept. 1 and another group’s negotiations received Board of Trustee approval Sept. 16.

The Communication Workers of America union is one of the largest unions on campus, with approximately 530 employees. Members of the CWA are made up of clerical, maintenance, and custodial workers on UT main campus. The members voted to approve the new contract on July 11 with 92 percent approval, and the Board of Trustees approved the agreement on July 25. The actual signing of the contract took place on Sept. 1 during a special signing ceremony at Libbey Hall.

The main point of change for the contract from the one in previous years is a pay raise. The raise will be a 2.5 percent raise in the first year beginning on July 14, 2014, and a 1 percent raise the second year beginning Jan. 1, according to the university. The third year of the contract in 2016 is when wage negotiations reopen.

The first two years of wage increases are expected to cost the university $615,000. However, the cost of the total changes made in the contract will not be known until 2016, when the wages negotiated for the final year.

The contract was negotiated on the part of the CWA by Erika D. White, Vice President of the CWA 4319, or the local sector of the CWA, and Bob Hull, President of the CWA 4319. However, no one person made the decisions regarding contract negotiation.

“UT and CWA have a regular, ongoing relationship. Decisions regarding the logistics of the negotiation process are mutual decisions made by both parties,” said Jon Strunk, senior director of university communications.

Strunk also said the university is pleased by the terms of the contract because it “ embodies the philosophy of the positive, collaborative relationship that the administration is committed to.”

As for the CWA, White expressed both approval for the contract as well as the cooperative effort that led to the signing, from both members of the university and from the union itself in a statement.

“President Bob Hull and I both feel that the mutual respect from the UT administration and the team building CWA labor is a positive and powerful step in trailblazing a strong foundation in our community for the number one asset for both labor and UT — the students,” White said.

The contract met approval from both the university and CWA members who were involved. In the press release from the university, Interim President Nagi Naganathan expressed his hopes that the contract would be a step in furthering positive progress in bargaining contracts.

“It is the university’s hope that the CWA agreement helps pave the way for continued constructive dialogue across all bargaining units,” Naganathan said.

The CWA is not the only union on campus looking at a new contract, either. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is a union with roughly 1,900 members on campus, most of whom work on the Health Science Campus.

The AFSCME contract has been approved by both local and state representatives for the union, and was approved by the Board of Trustees at their Monday meeting.

“AFSCME is a very large organization with diverse interests,” Naganathan said, “so the fact we were able to converge on this demonstrates not only that we have an agreement, more importantly, it shows that people are willing to come together, figure out a way to move forward.”

AFSCME’s new contract includes a wage raise of 2.5 percent the first year, and 1 percent the second and third years. Monthly health care premiums were also reduced by 2 percent, and labor management committees were established.

Jovita Thomas-Williams, associate vice president of human resources and talent development, said that labor management collaboration was a key point of both contracts.

“…Both contracts, frankly are embodying our new philosophy of collaboration with the unions to make sure that we are in partnership to make this university the best university ever,” said Williams.