April 9, 2002 - State University Faculty Vote to Ratify New Contract

Contact: Jim Pehler, Inter Faculty Organization (651) 227-8442 Extension 0
Nancy Conner, Publications and Media Relations Director (651) 296-0541

Members of the Inter Faculty Organization (IFO) voted today, April 9, to ratify the tentative contract agreement put forth by the IFO negotiating team and the Office of the Chancellor at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.

The time period of the contract extends from July 1, 2001, through June 30, 2003. The tentative agreement includes an approximate 2.5 percent increase for the current academic year, and a 5 percent increase for 2002-2003. The settlement places the agreement in the general parameters established by the AFSCME, MAPE and MSUAASF contracts already approved.

"In times of economic problems within the state, we are pleased to be able to afford our membership an opportunity to maintain salary increases that reflect inflation," said Jim Pehler, president of the IFO.

"If better times had been here, it is obvious that we would need to have additional funding for salaries," Pehler added. "Our sister institutions can currently offer more to new faculty hires, and have an ability to better retain their professors."

Chancellor James H. McCormick said he will recommend endorsement of the contract to the system's Board of Trustees at its meeting April 16-17.

"We are pleased to have reached a fair and equitable settlement with the state university faculty," McCormick said. "We value our faculty very much, and we are happy this new contract will enable us to be more competitive in compensation. It will help us maintain the high quality of education that our faculty provide and our students deserve."

Pehler said he was pleased with the mediation process.

"Through the mediation process, we were able to arrive at a fair contract," Pehler said. "Our compliments to the mediator and the chancellor and his staff for their hard work and to the IFO negotiating team for their excellent job in representing the concerns of state university faculty."

The IFO represents faculty at Akita, Japan; Bemidji State University; Metropolitan State University; Minnesota State University, Mankato; Minnesota State University Moorhead; St. Cloud State University; Southwest State University; and Winona State University.

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities serve about 225,000 students each year in credit-based courses and nearly 95,000 students in non-credit courses. The system is made up of 34 state universities, community colleges, technical colleges and combined community and technical colleges located on 53 campuses across the state.