May 18-19, 2000

ITEM 107-111-R0500   Approval of Tentative Agreement with The University of Montana-Missoula College of Technology Faculty Association

THAT: The Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education approves the Tentative Agreement with The University of Montana-Missoula College of Technology Faculty Association

EXPLANATION: See attached memo to Board of Regents from Sue Hill, Director, Labor Relations and Personnel

ATTACHMENTS:a. Memo to Board of Regents from Sue Hill

b. Tentative Agreement between the Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education and The University of Montana-Missoula College of Technology Faculty Association

 Item 107-111-R0500 ATTACHMENT

TO: Board of Regents

FROM: Sue Hill, Director, Labor Relations and Personnel

RE: Approval of Tentative Agreement with The University of Montana-Missoula College of Technology Faculty Association

DATE: May 18-19, 2000

 

The faculty at the The University of Montana-Missoula College of Technology recently voted to form their own bargaining unit. Previously, they were included in a state-wide bargaining unit (Vocational Technical Educators of Montana) along with faculty at the other colleges of technology.

The attached tentative agreement with The University of Montana-Missoula College of Technology Faculty Association shows the changes made to the 1997-1999 agreement with the Vocational Technical Educators of Montana (VTEM). Most are not substantive and are intended to reflect the new bargaining unit structure. In the future, the faculty and administration at The University of Montana-Missoula College of Technology would like to work towards an agreement that more closely parallels the agreement with the faculty at The University of Montana-Missoula. As a first step, the salary structure included in the VTEM agreement was replaced with salary floors. The collective bargaining agreement covering The University of Montana-Missoula College of Technology will specify only minimum levels for new hires as opposed to a set schedule which allows for very little flexibility to address the realities of the marketplace. The salary increases for faculty at The University of Montana-Missoula College of Technology were determined by taking the pool of money generated under the salary settlement with VTEM and redistributing it as an across-the-board percentage increase. The only other substantive change was to delete the requirement that all employees pay dues or a representation fee to the union. The faculty bargaining team initiated that change.

The faculty will have voted to approve the tentative agreement prior to the May Regent meeting or this item will be withdrawn. I recommend approval of the tentative agreement with The University of Montana-Missoula College of Technology Faculty Association.


xc: Commissioner Crofts

President Dennison

Dean Lerum