Contact: Amanda Garrison, Union of Teaching Faculty
Contract bargaining began this week between Central Michigan University and the faculty union representing fixed-term faculty on CMU’s Mount Pleasant campus.
“This will be just our second contract,” said Dr. Amanda Garrison, president of the Union of Teaching Faculty. “The faculty members we represent are integral to learning and teaching at Central Michigan University.”
The UTF, affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, represents nearly 400 faculty members at CMU’s Main Campus in Mount Pleasant. Garrison said she was hopeful after the preliminary bargaining with university representatives.
“Mutual respect and cooperation is necessary,” Garrison said, “not only to reach a contract, but to continue educating the thousands of CMU students in our members’ classrooms.”
The current contract between CMU and the UTF expires June 30. Both the university and the union have been laying the groundwork for bargaining for several months, Garrison said. The first, preliminary sessions took place the week after the faculty members finished their work for spring semester.
