Dear Members,

Yesterday, the FAMCO bargaining team was back at the table working to advance our proposals for real earnings increases safeguarded from healthcare price gouging.

The big take-away is that the administration’s response sends us the message that they are unwilling to truly hear the faculty’s repeated and compelling testimony of the ways in which soaring inflation, salary inequity, and the burden of healthcare overcharging has directly impacted our lives, our families, and our work with our students.

On compensation, the administration countered with an increase to faculty base salaries of 2.75% the first year and 3% percent each subsequent year on the grounds that these increases are consistent with what FAMCO has previously been willing to accept as fair in our previous contract.

When it comes to healthcare, the administration continues to put down proposals that would increase monthly costs to our members by astronomical proportions depending on the member’s plan.  In some cases, the monthly costs to members could skyrocket by 70%.

In presenting their latest counters, the administration continues to disrespect the central contributions the faculty make to student learning at Monmouth by ignoring our members’ real economic concerns.  

In fact, in one jaw-dropping exchange yesterday, the administration’s external lawyer challenged the FAMCO bargaining team to explain to the administration why our members could not accept the same base increase numbers from the last contract, asking, “What has changed from three years ago” that faculty feel they deserve more than what we already get from Monmouth?

What has changed?? Wow, what a question.  

To even ask it reveals how woefully out of touch the administration’s team is with the reality of faculty’s lived experiences.

In a nutshell, despite the administration’s framing of their recent proposal as “as good as what you have now, and that is good enough,” their proposal yesterday actually amounts to a much weaker deal in the wake of inflation and their proposed healthcare gouging.

The administration’s suggestion this week that nothing has changed over the past three years to warrant more significant contract improvements for our members, let alone their presentation of a proposal that could weaken the financial health for some of our faculty, raises concerns about the administration’s engagement in surface negotiations. In light of this, FAMCO ended the week with the filing of an unfair labor practice charge against the university for their failure to bargain in good faith. 

The bargaining team returns to the table this Monday, September 9th and is committed to finding a path forward through that truly meets our members’ needs for a stable and equity workplace that affords us all the livelihoods and dignity we deserve. 

Sincerely,

The FAMCO Bargaining Team

John Comiskey
Megan Delaney
Gabrielle Hackenberg
Rose Knapp
Sue Starke
Marina Vujnovic