2008 Woodie Awards
Professors reach new contract
Bridgette Blight
Issue date: 3/27/08 Section: News
03/27/08 - Faculty members at the University of Rhode Island have a new contract after 10 months of negotiation.
Under a three-year contract approved Monday by the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education, associate and full professors will receive salary increases, the selection of chairs will become standardized and professors will give up their BOG post-retirement health care plan.
"These are very difficult financial times and we worked hard to get a good and fair contract," said Rhode Island Commissioner of Higher Education Jack Warner. "We've done the best we can."
Professors had been working under the provisions of the previous contract, which expired June 30, 2007. The new contract includes an across-the-board retroactive pay increase of 2.5 percent effective from early January. Effective July 1, faculty will receive a 2.5 percent increase and a 3 percent increase effective in July 2009. The increases are less than the previous contract, which provided faculty with an annual 3.5 percent salary increase during the three-year agreement.
"[The new contract] guarantees a level of stability for faculty," said Frank Annunziato, executive director of the URI chapter of the American Association of University Professors. "They can work under the terms of the contract without concern of losing their jobs."
A looming $430 million state deficit and declining state aid for the university created a difficult environment for negotiating wage increases, Annunziato said. Last year the governor proposed laying off 1,000 state employees in an effort to save money. The higher education system - outside of the governor's direct control - declined to layoff workers, but sought savings elsewhere.
The new contract - while including pay increases - still leaves URI professors lagging behind their counterparts.
A 2007 AAUP salary survey found that full professors at URI earn an average of $96,300 for a nine-month work year. Full professors at the University of Connecticut and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst average $122,200 and $109,400, respectively.
Under a three-year contract approved Monday by the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education, associate and full professors will receive salary increases, the selection of chairs will become standardized and professors will give up their BOG post-retirement health care plan.
"These are very difficult financial times and we worked hard to get a good and fair contract," said Rhode Island Commissioner of Higher Education Jack Warner. "We've done the best we can."
Professors had been working under the provisions of the previous contract, which expired June 30, 2007. The new contract includes an across-the-board retroactive pay increase of 2.5 percent effective from early January. Effective July 1, faculty will receive a 2.5 percent increase and a 3 percent increase effective in July 2009. The increases are less than the previous contract, which provided faculty with an annual 3.5 percent salary increase during the three-year agreement.
"[The new contract] guarantees a level of stability for faculty," said Frank Annunziato, executive director of the URI chapter of the American Association of University Professors. "They can work under the terms of the contract without concern of losing their jobs."
A looming $430 million state deficit and declining state aid for the university created a difficult environment for negotiating wage increases, Annunziato said. Last year the governor proposed laying off 1,000 state employees in an effort to save money. The higher education system - outside of the governor's direct control - declined to layoff workers, but sought savings elsewhere.
The new contract - while including pay increases - still leaves URI professors lagging behind their counterparts.
A 2007 AAUP salary survey found that full professors at URI earn an average of $96,300 for a nine-month work year. Full professors at the University of Connecticut and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst average $122,200 and $109,400, respectively.