MnSCU, state university administrative and service faculty, reach tentative labor agreement

Posted: April 8, 2009

Contact: Doug Anderson, doug.anderson@MinnState.edu, 651-201-1426

The Minnesota State University Association of Administrative and Service Faculty, Teamsters Local 320, which represents nearly 700 administrative and service faculty at seven state universities, and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system have reached a tentative labor agreement that calls for no across-the-board salary increases or step increases for the next two years.

The board for the bargaining unit will review the tentative agreement and make a recommendation to its members, which must vote to ratify the agreement. It will then be forwarded to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees for approval.

The tentative agreement came early in the contract negotiations. The current contract is set to expire June 30, 2009.

“The priority of MSUAASF and our members has been to maintain strong academic programs and services to our students even in these very difficult times and this early settlement is our contribution toward helping the system get through this with as little negative effect on our students as possible,” said Shahzad Ahmad, president of the Minnesota State University Association of Administrative and Service Faculty.

Chancellor James H. McCormick praised the Minnesota State University Association of Administrative and Service Faculty representatives for reaching an early tentative agreement. “These are difficult economic times,” he said. “I appreciate that the union representatives recognize that coming to an agreement quickly will reduce uncertainty for their members and our presidents as they plan their budgets.”

This is the third bargaining unit within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system that has reached an agreement. The other two bargaining units, which represent faculty at the state universities and colleges, reached similar settlements in February and March. The chancellor also announced last month he is recommending that 570 administrators at the state colleges and universities and in the system office would receive no merit increases for the next two years. The board is expected to act on that recommendation in May.