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The University of Maine professional staff have since April 1999 been working without a contract and working to resolve the situation. Since October, when the UMaine Professional Staff Association protest stalled negotiations outside the Maine Center for the Arts during a speech by former Sen. George J. Mitchell, there have been eight mediation sessions with the Maine Labor Relations Board. All have proven futile.
“We have actually made some progress toward a settlement, but every proposal is conditional on settling everything else in a package,” head negotiator Bruce Littlefield said. “If we don’t agree to a package in mediation, each party essentially returns to the positions presented to the fact finders for the next step.”
In the event mediation fails to provide a compromise both parties are happy with, the next step is arbitration.
Arbitration is binding on the subject of contract language but only advisory on the issue of wages and benefits. In this case, the benefit in question is health insurance. An arbitrator would be chosen either through the Maine Labor Relations Board or the American Arbitration Association.
“We would still continue to negotiate if the arbitrator’s recommendations are not accepted on these two issues,” said Littlefield.
Additionally, UMPSA and The Associated Colt Staff of UMaine sent a letter to the Senate appropriation committee members questioning the usage of $4 million appropriated from the Senate in the last session. The money was intended to bring university employee wages and salary increases closer to the increases negotiated by state workers and technical college employees. The money was also meant to settle the outstanding contracts of UMPSA and ACSUM.
According to a document from the Office of Finance and Treasurer, $750,000 went to previous commitments. According to Littlefield no one will say what those previous commitments were. Two point six million dollars went to paying 2.5 percent of the non-faculty salary, wage base and benefit costs. Another $300,000 went for employee growth costs and to recover the extra cost of ACSUM and UMPSA employees remaining on the old health plan until their contracts are settled.
Additionally, $150,000 was allotted to recover part of the additional cost of health insurance premiums not paid by employees. Another $47,000 went to contribute 2.5 percent of overtime pay and $433,000 went to contribute to 20 percent of “estimated benefit cost override.” A sum of $200,000 went to pay student wages.
Littlefield said he believes Chancellor McTaggart will be questioned about the moneys when the appropriations committee has a work session to address the issue.
According to Littlefield, one of the most frustrating facets of the issue has been the lack of compromise from UMS.
“In September, after the fact finding, UMPSA basically said they would settle based on those recommendations even though they weren’t exactly what we wanted… they [UMS] continually refused to settle,” he said.
The UMaine Faculty Senate has even taken up UMPSA’s cause. On Jan. 31 the Senate passed a resolution stating, “The Faculty Senate endorses an immediate, fair and equitable settlement of the UMPSA contract in accordance with the fact finders’ recommendations, and asks the President of the University of Maine to represent the university in support of such a settlement.”
“I know I was so uplifted to see [the resolution],” said UMPSA member Sherry Trewrogy. “It felt like there was a lot of support there.”
The current negotiations are for a contract running from July 1, 1999 through June 30, 2001. Soon UMPSA will have to prepare to negotiate a contract agreement to run from July 1, 2001 to June 30, 2003. According to Littlefield, the likelihood of having to begin negotiations for a second contract while still negotiating the first is becoming a real possibility.
