Session Updates, 2021
WOU is committed to collegial and transparent bargaining with the labor unions that represent our valued employees. During negotiations for our 2020-23 contract with WOUFT, the university posted regular bargaining updates so that our campus community could remain apprised of proposals, counterproposals and progress towards agreement. The university intends to continue this practice as we move forward.
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WOU – WOUFT Bargaining Updates
BARGAINING UPDATE #9
January 10, 2022
On Thursday, January 6, from 8:30 am until about 6:00 pm, WOU and WOUFT met via video-conference for mediation related the Article 16 Salary re-opener. The University formally requested mediation on November 30 after WOUFT did not respond to WOU’s November 23rd proposal (found HERE).
After introductions and an orientation to the mediation-via-Zoom process, our mediator met with each team in private Zoom rooms for updates and opening discussion. Following those opening discussions and despite WOUFT continuing to offer no counterproposal to WOU’s most recent offering, WOU provided a new bargaining proposal with terms similar to those provided to unrepresented staff: 1% COLA/$1250 bonus for TT and 2% COLA for NTT mid-year. This proposal reflected substantial movement from the University: increasing the COLA offering by 1% in both years and $250 in bonus in each year for TT and 2% COLA for NTT in both years.
WOUFT responded by making minor movement from its November 13 proposal [1-6-21 proposal found HERE], shifting 1% of their proposed cost of living increase for TT faculty from year one to year two. WOU then responded with a proposal [found HERE] that provided that the $1250 bonus for TT would become part of the base and NTT COLA in YR2 would increase to 3% should total student enrollment increase by 10% Fall 2021 to Fall 2022. WOUFT declined to provide a counteroffer. Table 1 summarizes the terms of WOU and WOUFT’s most recent offers.
At this point, WOUFT requested to speak with Interim President Jay Kenton to share concerns and perspectives. Following that listening session, we adjourned mediation with an agreement to reconvene on Friday, January 14 at 10 am.
It is essential to consider the costs of the proposals in the context of our current financial situation. The Board Statement on Education & General Fund Balance Standards requires that: “Western Oregon University shall develop budgets that target an ending biennial budgeted operations fund (E&G) balance of approximately 10-12 percent of annual budgeted operations revenues.” The University’s offer is constrained by our now decade-long trend of enrollment declines and the increasingly precarious state of our fund balance.
WOUFT’s most recent proposal will cost $2.245m over the two-year agreement; WOU’s proposal costs $1.120m. In Table 2 below, we illustrate the costs of WOU and WOUFT’s proposals, and their projected effects on the university’s fund balance at the end of 2022-23 in three enrollment scenarios.
The proposals’ impacts on the university’s fund balance vary, depending upon 2022-23 enrollment.
- If we are guided by history, we can expect continued enrollment declines. In that case, any increases to compensation would be unaffordable, as the university will reach a negative fund balance before the end of the 2022-23 academic year.
- If we assume that current enrollments are our nadir, and that things finally hold steady next year, compensation increases would dig deeply into the university’s fund balance. WOU’s proposal would leave a 2.74% fund balance, while WOUFT’s proposal would leave a 0.74% fund balance.
- If we assume that enrollments rebound by 10% next year, WOU will be on a better track but the fund balance will still fall well below the Board’s guidelines.
It is risky, perhaps perilously so, to assume flat enrollments after years of enrollment declines. However, the university values its faculty and deeply appreciates their contributions during very difficult times. If our outcomes are better, our current offer shares the fruits of those rebounding enrollments with faculty in the form of additional base increases.
Our current offer is what the university can afford, and risk, to achieve an agreement. It is not what any of us deserves, given our hard work and commitment to WOU.
BARGAINING UPDATE #8
November 22, 2021
Adjunct to WOU’s Article 16 proposal of November 1, WOU also proposed a Letter of Agreement that would create a year-long compensation study committee staffed equally by members of WOU and WOUFT. WOU understood WOUFT’s July proposal as indicating an interest in revaluating the tenured/tenure-track salary table and offered this collaborative approach in that spirit.
WOUFT declined the compensation committee without offering a counter proposal on the issue, stating that they believed it is premature to contemplate shared study between WOUFT and the university around faculty compensation issues.
WOU strongly disagrees. Given that this topic is routinely a major source of disagreement, we believe that a year dedicated to examining WOU’s compensation structure alongside other similarly-situated universities would benefit our future negotiations. Such collaborative and community effort – similar to the cross-pollination that occurs in Faculty Senate, UBAC, and a host of other campus committees – could help reset WOU and WOUFT in their understandings of the context of Article 16-Salary bargaining and light a new path forward.
Given WOUFT’s lack of interest in such collaboration, WOU does not plan to revisit this with WOUFT. However, WOU is absolutely committed to having a better understanding of its compensation of faculty relative to comparator institutions and is similarly committed to pursuing more perfect knowledge of it with campus stakeholders.
BARGAINING UPDATE #7
November 18, 2021
2021 Bargaining History
WOU’s 2021 bargaining on the Article 16 salary re-opener has been constrained considerably by the precarious financial condition of the University. In its initial (April 2021) proposal to WOUFT, WOU proposed a 3% reduction in salary steps for most of the faculty on the tenured/tenure-track table in year 1 and maintenance of that position in year 2. The proposal was based on forecasts that Fall enrollment would decline an additional 10% from the year before. WOU supplemented its proposal with reference material that showed, among other things, that continued enrollment declines coupled with salary increases would produce a sizeable budget deficit in 2021-22.
WOUFT’s counter-proposal, delivered in July 2021, sought a complete restructuring of the tenured/tenure-track table. While WOU is eager to reconsider the salary table, the university could not meet the average increases of 8.15% in year 1 and 6.15% in year 2 that the proposal demanded. Nor could we commit to the rapid ballooning of long-term costs the restructuring would create. Thus, WOU rejected this proposal.
In late July, due in part to the distance between the parties’ bargaining positions, WOU and WOUFT agreed to pause further bargaining until WOU could provide its official Fall 2021 enrollment data.
On November 1, WOU provided WOUFT with Fall 2021 enrollment data and a new proposal. The enrollment data indicated that WOU’s student enrollment had declined further than expected, down 12% as opposed to the projected 10%. Nonetheless, WOU’s proposal improved its position on compensation, offering a 1% reduction in salary steps for most tenured/tenure-track faculty and a $900 bonus in year 1 and the same 1% reduction to salary steps and additional $900 bonus in year 2.
More detailed summaries of the previous bargaining sessions may be found by scrolling down this page.
November 12, 2021 Bargaining
On November 12, 2021, WOU and WOUFT met, and WOU received WOUFT’s counter-proposal. It sought: annual steps on the salary table; a 3.3% increase in year 1 and no increase in value to those steps in year 2; 4.7% and 1.4% increases to non-tenure track salaries in years 1 and 2 respectively; and a $500 bonus for all non-tenure track faculty upon signing of the agreement. WOU calculated the cost of WOUFT’s proposal at approximately $2.2M. WOU cannot meet this position given the University’s fiscal concerns.
November 16, 2021 Bargaining
On November 16, WOU and WOUFT reconvened. WOU provided a packet with information requested by WOUFT about faculty headcount and FTE from 2015 through 2021, along with additional contextual information. WOU then delivered its counterproposal to WOUFT’s November 12 proposal. Key terms are:
- No steps except for promotion
- 2021-22, flat salaries for TT and NTT faculty and $750 bonuses payable in the first paycheck after the ratification of the agreement.
- 2022-23, flat salaries for TT and NTT faculty and $750 bonuses payable in the first paycheck after the ratification of the agreement.
WOUFT caucused and returned with its counter reflecting a .2% change in its salary demand: annual steps on the salary table; a 3.1% increase in year 1 and no increase in value to those steps in year 2; 4.5% and 1.4% increases to non-tenure track salaries in years one and two respectively; and a $500 bonus for all non-tenure track faculty upon signing of the agreement.
Given the very small movement by WOUFT in its counterproposal, WOU proposed adjourning bargaining for the day. We are scheduled to reconvene on Tuesday, November 23, 11 am – 1 pm.
BARGAINING UPDATE #6
November 4, 2021
In August 2021, WOU and WOUFT agreed to suspend bargaining over the Article 16 (Salary) reopener, pending information on official Fall 2021 enrollments. That data is now available (see Table 1). WOU prepared its initial offer with an assumption of increased state funding (which materialized) and an assumption that enrollments would be down no more than 10%. As Table 1 indicates, our enrollment drop was larger than 10%.
Fall 2021 (end of 4th week) | Fall 2020 (end of 4th week) | Difference | Pct Change | |
Total Enrollment | 4,019 | 4,552 | -533 | -11.70% |
Total Credit Hours | 48,697 | 55,537 | -6,840 | -12.30% |
Total FTE | 3,299.30 | 3,759.30 | -460 | -12.20% |
With that data for context, WOU prepared and delivered a counterproposal to WOUFT’s July 2021 proposal on November 1. This recommences bargaining. Per our August agreement, WOU and WOUFT will engage in bargaining for no less than four weeks. After four weeks, the WOU and WOUFT agreed that either side may seek mediation as provided by Oregon law.
WOU proposes a two-year agreement that includes:
- A single 1% reduction to the steps of the Article 16 tenured/tenure-track table to cover both years;
- No tenured/tenure-track steps given as a matter of course;
- Appropriate tenured/tenure-track steps given for promotion;
- Tenure-track faculty in their first 2 years of employment are held harmless on the salary reduction;
- NTT salaries will not be reduced;
- $900 lump bonuses for tenured/tenure-track faculty paid in years 1 and 2 of the reopener.
This seeks to balance recognition of the contributions made by faculty during difficult times with a realistic view of how steady enrollment declines affect the sustainability of the university.
In addition to WOU’s formal Article 16 proposal, we attach other documents that provide context for WOU’s challenging financial condition:
- Explanation of Approach to Article 16 Bargaining
- Budget surplus/deficit projections
- OPB coverage of on-going challenges faced by first-generation college students and the institutions that serve them
WOU is heartened by WOUFT’s interest in rethinking the current form of the faculty salary tables and reconsidering fair compensation for our faculty. To build towards progress in this direction, WOU proposes to create an opportunity for WOU and WOUFT to collaboratively study and explore the topic through neutral and objective committee work. Details of that proposal are in this draft letter of agreement.
We look forward to WOUFT’s review of our proposal and the resumption of bargaining.
BARGAINING UPDATE #5
August 2, 2021
On July 14, WOU received WOUFT’s initial proposal, which followed the university’s initial proposal of April 14. As noted in WOU’s last bargaining update, the university applauds WOUFT’s willingness to explore alternatives to the current salary structure. In pursuing needed change, however, WOU must also weigh the content and financial implications of the proposal alongside the fiscal challenges the university likely faces in the current and coming years. With this in mind, and for reasons described below, WOU has rejected WOUFT’s salary proposal.
In developing its April 14 proposal, WOU considered a range of budgetary scenarios related to state funding, tuition increases and projected enrollments. Since then, a tuition increase and state funding have come into focus. While fall enrollment is still unknown, it presently lags last year’s numbers. This means we almost certainly will have an operating budget deficit in 2021-22.
The size of the deficit will depend upon where enrollments (and other revenues) settle and what happens with other campus costs, including employee compensation. The first table illustrates 2021-22 budget scenarios based on WOU’s April 14 proposal (a 3% cut in salaries), flat salaries and WOUFT’s July 14 proposal (8% increase in salaries).
It is important to note that this table considers only the costs associated with WOUFT salaries. Though it is imperative that the university continue to be mindful of all employee compensation, changes that may occur to other employee compensation is not contemplated by this table.
As is apparent from the table, WOUFT’s proposal for the coming year guarantees an unmanageable deficit that the university simply cannot agree to. More importantly, the structural changes to the step system proposed by WOUFT would establish a faculty salary trajectory for 2022-23 and beyond that is not sustainable given our current budget situation and prospects for enrollments short- and long-term. The next table illustrates the increased cost for faculty compensation over the next five years, holding constant the number and distribution of faculty and assuming 3% COLAs in 2023-24, 24-25 and 25-26.
While marginal cost additions are natural to a scheme of salary increases, the cumulative effect of adding more than $1,000,000 in faculty salary costs each year is well beyond what WOU can afford. Again, for these reasons WOU has rejected WOUFT’s initial proposal.
We will best serve our students and support our faculty and staff if we share an understanding of WOU’s fiscal situation and enrollment prospects and work collaboratively to set the university on a sustainable path.
Regarding next steps, for a host of reasons made apparent by the pace of the bargain and the distance between the two parties’ initial proposals, WOU proposed and WOUFT agreed to the following course:
- We will postpone bargaining until both parties receive Fall 2021 enrollment numbers
- We will recommence bargaining for fixed period of time upon receipt of the enrollment numbers
- The statutory clock for bargaining will not be paused
WOU and WOUFT agreed that neither party will seek mediation until 4 weeks have passed beyond the delivery of the enrollment numbers.
WOU looks forward to resuming negotiations when we have complete information about Fall 2021 enrollments.
BARGAINING UPDATE #4
Wednesday, July 14, 2021 – 3 pm – 5 pm
On July 14, WOU and WOUFT met via Zoom. WOUFT presented its response to WOU’s April 14 salary proposal and answered preliminary questions from WOU’s team about the rationale for the proposal.
The WOUFT proposal includes a restructuring of the tenure-track step system that would re-establish the first step in the system at a higher rate than is presently available, reduce the number of steps within the system and widen the increment between those steps. One-time stipends to smooth the transition to the new system and a 5% increase to each step for 2022-23 were also proposed. Proposed changes for non-tenure-track faculty include restructuring of the NTT salary floor table to increase the number of steps, increase the values of the floors, and reduce the ranges of years included in some steps. Minimum NTT increases of 6.15% in 21-22 and 8.15% in 22-23 were proposed. Lastly, WOUFT proposed returning library faculty to 12-month appointments and including that FTE into the salary article. This addition would constitute the only FTE description captured by salary article of the CBA.
WOU is analyzing the short- and long-term costs of this complex proposal to understand how it speaks to our current budgetary situation and its trajectory. Projected Fall 2021 enrollments are significantly lower than already depleted Fall 2020 levels and lower than our worst case budget scenario of a 10% drop, which leaves us with much work to do to reach a sustainable equilibrium of students, programs, faculty, staff, and services. In that context, we seek a partnership with WOUFT to forge a path that is of mutual benefit to our students, faculty, staff and community. We look forward to continuing conversations.
BARGAINING UPDATE #3
Wednesday, April 14, 2021 — 3 pm – 5 pm
WOU and WOUFT met via Zoom to consider the university’s proposal in the Article 16 reopener. In preparation for this meeting, the University requested that WOUFT send questions related to salary negotiations so that we could provide answers and collectively be better situated to commence bargaining. The questions WOUFT submitted and WOU’s answers are linked here.
The university presented an overview of factors that shape our bargaining context including enrollment declines, state funding, and tuition rate as well as projected budget deficit/surplus depending on those factors.
Then the university presented its initial Article 16 proposal. It includes:
- No annual steps for tenured/tenure-track faculty
- Steps for promotion to full and associate will be granted
- Temporary 3% reduction to the tenured/tenure-track salary table for the length of the contract
- No across the board pay reductions for non-tenure track faculty
- Exemption from the 3% pay reduction for tenure-track faculty who began as an Assistant Professor on the tenure-track on September 16, 2019 or later
The impact of this offer on the university’s financial situation depends upon the resolution of the uncertainties described in the overview of factors (e.g., 2021-22 enrollment, PUSF funding levels). At this time, we can provide this rough estimate – which captures numerous enrollment and state funding scenarios – and is based on information from the December 2020 financial statements. It is important to note that inputs to this estimate continue to change; with this caveat, this information shows the contours of a landscape where conditions make it very likely that the university will operate with a budget deficit in 2021-22.
In the second half of the session, Dr. Ana Karaman (Vice President for Finance and Administration) provided an overview of the current budget context, including uncertainties in enrollments and state funding. She shared data that informs enrollment projections for next year: Weekly admissions report (4-12-21) and term-to-term attrition (Fall 2020 to Winter 2021, Winter 2021 to Spring 2021). Due to time constraints, the presentation covered revenue projections for 2021-22. Dr. Karaman will complete the presentation with information about project 2021-22 expenses at the next bargaining session (Wednesday, May 19, 3-5 pm).
BARGAINING UPDATE #2
Wednesday, March 10, 2021 — Postponed
This week, the US Congress passed the American Rescue Plan (“ARP”). This legislation provides economic relief to many people and organizations, including colleges and universities. WOU expects to receive aid though we have not confirmed the exact amounts or allowable uses. Like previous federal stimulus packages, however, WOU expects that there will be restrictions on acceptable uses of the money, including tranches set aside for direct student aid. We do know that the ARP provides welcome one-time funding that can triage institutions toward better health.
On March 9, anticipating ARP’s passage, WOU proactively reached out to WOUFT and requested a postponement of today’s bargaining date so that we might better understand the ARP, the level of funding it provides, and the rules for the funding’s use. WOU believes the passage of the ARP will be an important factor in the short-term fiscal well-being of the university and will inform the positions WOU takes with regard to its Fiscal Year 2022 budget. WOUFT agreed to the delay and rescheduled for April 14, 2021.
In the coming weeks, WOU will thoughtfully consider the ARP and the continually evolving state of the university in an effort to identify pathways to stabilize the long-term health of our university. As everyone is aware, the critical components in re-establishing WOU’s health will not be one-time money received from the federal government, but the return of students to campus for a full and rewarding university experience, increased enrollments, and more robust university funding by the Oregon legislature.
When WOU and WOUFT meet again for bargaining, WOU hopes to bring a better understanding of our challenges and the ways in which the ARP might help the University achieve stability in the future. That greater understanding will work to the benefit of everyone on campus, the bargaining teams and their constituents included.
BARGAINING UPDATE #1
Monday, February 1, 2021 — 3 pm – 5 pm — Via videoconference
Appendix J of the 2020-23 contract with WOUFT provided for a re-opener for Article 16 (Salary) that would define salaries for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 years. The parties agreed upon the re-opener to allow for greater understanding of the university’s developing fiscal concerns and to permit the bargaining over the salaries of the final two years of the contract to be informed by information gained much closer to those years of the contract. Appendix J states in relevant part:
“Upon thirty (30) days’ written notice, but at no time earlier than December 1, 2020 and no later than March 1, 2021, either party may INITIATE the commencement of negotiation on Article 16: Salary.”
On December 10, 2020, WOU provided notice to WOUFT of the university’s intent to begin bargaining under this reopener.
On February 1, from 3:00 – 5:00 pm, WOU and WOUFT met via videoconference to begin those discussions. We started by discussing the foundation that was provided by the agreed upon ground rules governing the 2020 bargain.
Leading up to the establishment of the 2020 bargaining ground rules, WOU expressed its significant concerns about the quality of conversation that had resulted from overly large table teams in recent bargains. For example, in 2017 approximately 27 bargaining participants negotiated the contract at the table; WOU sat 4 individuals and WOUFT frequently sat approximately 23. WOU approached WOUFT with the request for much smaller total numbers at the table to allow for more intimate, nimble conversation. The groups agreed on and memorialized in the ground rules a compromise permitting no more than 7 core table team participants charged with representing the interests of their sides. Additionally, each group was permitted to bring support teams to the table that might have specific knowledge or experience with the topic being discussed. This structure and expectation of representation is very commonplace in bargaining where only a few individuals are tasked with the work of representing bargaining unit interests not always directly their own.
WOU believes, and WOUFT did not dispute, that smaller table team bore fruit: the 2020 contract conversations were more reliably productive and effective with a smaller number of well-informed and engaged participants. In addition, this change enabled the groups to overcome much of the difficulty of coordinating more than 25 individual schedules which, in the past, led to short, evening bargains that were reliably less productive. Prior to 2020’s bargaining, the teams often made little headway in each meeting – due in part to the difficulty of the large group dynamic and in part to the truncated bargaining sessions that begin in the evening. WOU has long believed that this structure is not supportive of productive, collaborative and thoughtful bargaining.
These improvements in communication notwithstanding, WOUFT leadership proposed significant changes to the ground rules for 2021 bargaining. WOUFT stated that they wish to step away from the agreement of 2020 related to the size of the union bargaining team and instead seat a bargaining table team of 16-18 members, including their spokesperson. WOUFT stated a desire to do this so that the entirety of the union’s Executive Council can sit at the table in addition to a group further “representative of their membership.”
WOU understands and supports WOUFT’s desire to exercise democratic principles. However, WOU strongly believes that clear and consistent communication is severely hampered by teams too great in size. WOU and WOUFT’s past indicates as much. Moreover, as WOU suggested during the recent February 1st meeting, WOUFT’s stated interest in transparency and democracy within their group was not curtailed by WOU’s position on smaller table teams and could be met via unlimited observers and inclusive caucuses with whomever from the bargaining unit WOUFT desired to invite. That solution was not met favorably. WOU then suggested a compromise, that the WOUFT bargaining table team be comprised of one representative of each academic division and their spokesperson. That too was rejected without counterproposal or further inquiry into compromise.
With no agreement between the parties related to the size of the bargaining table teams, WOU forwarded a revised ground rules proposal to WOUFT that, most notably, eliminated any contemplation of team sizes.
In addition, the teams:
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- Identified Wednesdays, 3-5 pm, as a meeting time through Spring term; and
- Agreed to meet virtually every 5th week to discuss proposals that will be exchanged via email the previous week.
While we hope for resolution of the Article 16 re-opener by the end of the Spring term, the University is committed to bargaining diligently through the summer months, if needed, to reach an agreement that carries the university forward.