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Posted on Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 3:50 p.m.

EMU and clerical workers reach tentative 'eleventh-hour' agreement after six months of tense negotiations

By Kellie Woodhouse

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Eastern Michigan University's campus

File photo

Six months of tense contract negotiations may be at an end after Eastern Michigan University clerical workers and administrators reached a tentative four-year contract agreement.

The compromise comes after the majority of union members voted down an offer in early July, rallied against what they considered unreasonable bargaining and commissioned a plane to fly in the sky and carry a banner claiming university President Susan Martin is "unfair to clericals."

It also comes the week marking union leader Karen A. Hansen's 25th year with the university. During those years, Hansen has helped negotiate at least four contracts for the 200-plus member union. This negotiation, she says, was unlike any of the others.

"It was the worst I have ever had," she said. "It was like pulling teeth, but at the eleventh hour we finally got some movement."

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On Eastern Michigan University's campus, a plane flew overhead during a July 11 rally. It carried a banner saying the university president was unfair in contract negotiations.

Kellie Woodhouse | AnnArbor.com

That eleventh-hour change was EMU's decision to cut back annual health insurance premium increases from 12 percent to 8.25 percent, a change administrators refused to budge on when negotiating with the Police Officers Association earlier this year.

In an effort to contain costs, EMU this year is shifting a portion heath-care costs onto employees. However, clerical workers contend that the additional cost, coupled with low raises, would have essentially amounted to a pay cut.

"I am pleased that they finally moved on health care because what they were presenting originally was a hardship for many of our clericals," Hansen said. "They were sticking to [the 12 percent annual premium increases] no matter what and then finally on Tuesday [Aug. 21] they moved."

The tentative agreement doesn't offer clerical workers a raise the first year but offers them a 1.5 percent raise the second year and a 2 percent raise the third and fourth years. The agreement struck down in July included a 0 percent raise the first year, 1 percent the second year and 2 percent the third year.

The average clerical worker earns a base salary of $34,000, Hansen said.

Heath care costs will still rise, causing workers with families to pay as much as $5,000 a year, depending on services sought.

EMU spokesman Geoff Larcom said the shift is necessary to deal with rising health care costs incurred by the university.

"This is not an issue singular to Eastern Michigan University. Consistent with national trends, Eastern’s health care costs are projected to increase by 8.5 percent annually," he told AnnArbor.com in July.

To allay concerns among clericals, EMU offered to pay or lower premiums for a couple of plans during the first year of the agreement. Additionally the agreement includes an annual $1,250 lump sum payment to all clerical workers and a onetime $750 bonus.

"[Our members] have always been aware of the difficult economic times we are all in and they know they need to pay their fair share," Hansen said. "The difficult thing is that our share, portion-wise ..., was too difficult for our clericals because of the fact that we make so much less."

It's been a summer of bargaining for university administrators. EMU came to an agreement with the faculty union last week, and in late July the Board of Regents approved a four-year contract with the school's police officers' union.

The clerical union's contract will run through June 30, 2016. A date has not been set for a union vote on the agreement.

The union's previous contract expired June 30.

Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.

Comments

Jonathan Blutarsky

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 1:11 p.m.

Well XMO - Perhaps they would like to afford sending their kids to college too? Do you expect them to work for nothing?

snapshot

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 4:04 a.m.

Hey jonathan why would you take the arguement to the extreme? Do you find it helpful to be insulting to the hand that feeds you? So yeah, now I don't want folks like you working for the government at all.

Tom Todd

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 2:23 p.m.

Some people despise the lower middle class and expect them to be poor or work for peanuts.

xmo

Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 11:06 p.m.

Really: "[Our members] have always been aware of the difficult economic times we are all in and they know they need to pay their fair share," Instead they are balancing EMU's budget on the backs of the "POOR COLLEGE Student" and their working family parents!

snapshot

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 3:57 a.m.

xmo, I agree, there's no empathy at all from these unions for the people their "tough negotiations" impact.

greg, too

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 12:19 a.m.

EMU is one of the cheapest schools in the state. Not sure where you are getting the info for your claim. Now, if you were to complain about all of the beautification that is going on, hill building and fences and benches when they are supposedly broke, then I could understand that.

Tom Todd

Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 11:59 p.m.

Higher Education is not free!! be thankful you can send your child to college.

Cash

Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 10:36 p.m.

I feel badly for these folks as they are the heart and soul of EMU. These are the folks who students actually SEE when they need help. They have had their wages held low for decades....always the bottom of the heap. In another week it will be this group out there on the front lines working with students, helping them through the maze of higher ed. Bless them!

leaguebus

Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 10:33 p.m.

EMU has worked very hard to keep tuition increases to the minimum despite huge cuts in state funds in recent years. Good for EMU. A single payer national health system would also help EMU to stretch their budget. If Canada and England can do it, we should be able to do it too.

Geoff Larcom

Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 8:50 p.m.

It's important to clarify the terminology used here. The $1,250 lump sum AnnArbor.com refers to is a permanent increase to base salary that would take effect upon approval of the agreement by the EMU Board of Regents. That is, someone earning $34,000 a year, as cited above, would then make $35,250 annually. Future percentage increases would then be applied to the latter figure. As noted, it has been an active summer of bargaining for EMU administrators and several unions. Here is EMU President Sue Martin's comment on the negotiations detailed in this story: "We appreciate the sincere and determined efforts of both bargaining teams in reaching a tentative agreement. We deeply value and appreciate the contribution our clerical secretarial employees make to the university and to our students." Indeed, the various negotiating teams have done a superb job this summer in reaching agreements during these challenging economic times and amid sharply rising health care costs. Here is the story AnnArbor.com reporter Amy Biolchini wrote last week on the recent tentative contract agreement with the EMU professors' union. Note the sentiments expressed in the story. http://www.annarbor.com/news/emu-reaches-tentative-agreement-with-professors-union-salary-increases-included/#.UDaUBERpfPY Note: Geoff Larcom, who worked as a reporter, columnist and editor for The Ann Arbor News for 25 years, is now executive director of media relations at EMU.

Kellie Woodhouse

Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 10:09 p.m.

Thanks for contributing Geoff. By the way, I added "annual" when explaining the lump sum payment to clarify.

Tom Todd

Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 8:29 p.m.

maybe if all the countries we have rescued will pay us back half of what they owe us we could have benefits for all Americans,will out employees sacrificing food or rent for health benefits maybe if we had real competition with health care companies cost would not go up >8% a year. Happy for these employees who bargained for more and got it.