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Financial Realities and Compensation Trends at Monmouth University
There’s an interesting article, titled MU, Three Years After the Pandemic by Gabrielle Sangataldo, in the Monmouth University student-run newspaper, The Outlook, this week. The article highlights the financial challenges Monmouth University faced during the pandemic and examines the compensation trends among its top administrators. It provides insights into various aspects of the university’s finances, using data from ProPublica and other sources.
During the pandemic, the university took several measures to address financial strains, including pay cuts for senior administrators, such as President Patrick Leahy. However, data from the university’s 990 filings revealed significant increases in executive and administrative compensation, raising questions among faculty and students.
The article discusses the impact of tuition increases on student debt and the potential connection between administrative compensation and rising tuition costs. The data shows that the number of full-time faculty members has decreased, while reliance on part-time and non-tenure track faculty has increased, affecting academic consistency and faculty morale.
Enrollment at Monmouth University has also seen a decline, putting pressure on the institution’s finances as it heavily relies on student tuition. Despite these financial challenges, the university announced a $45 million fundraising campaign for the expansion of the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music (BSACAM), which has raised questions about the university’s priorities.
Overall, the article paints a complex financial picture of Monmouth University that is worth reading, with ongoing debates about compensation trends, enrollment, and fundraising priorities. It highlights the challenges and concerns within the university community and the need for transparent and balanced financial decisions.
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ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES CONDITIONAL FREEZE ONLY ON 2024 HEALTHCARE COSTS
Yesterday, the FAMCO bargaining team returned to the negotiations table to establish 2024 healthcare premium equivalent rates for faculty.
FAMCO passed our first proposal for 2024 rates back in March. The administration took six months to respond to our initial proposal, sharing their counter for the first time only last week.
In negotiations yesterday, FAMCO reasserted the importance of reaching a timely and fair settlement on 2024 rates given the November open enrollment period the University has proceeded to schedule.
They were joined by 9 FAMCO members who observed the session to support the negotiators, and to make it clear to the administration that members are concerned, informed, and ready to hold the administration accountable to meet the needs of the faculty.
In this latest session, the FAMCO team proposed an affordable and reasonable one year freeze to our current healthcare rates based on our analysis of the nominal cost increase projections provided by the University. Specifically, the FAMCO team demonstrated that the most recent projections provided by the University show that a freeze in 2024 for all employees would cost the University less than $100,000.
The FAMCO team was also able to remind the University of the nearly $2.5 million in savings that has resulted in the decision to move to self-insurance and to make administrative changes to the Rx benefits program, savings that FAMCO believes should be distributed fairly between the University and its employees.
FAMCO continued to discuss the importance of righting the ship of our overall health benefits program that has allowed the University to lower their cost increases over time while faculty’s costs escalated.
The good news is that yesterday the FAMCO team was successful in moving the administration to consider a 2024 rate freeze.
The bad news is that the administration’s counter proposal makes the affordable and fair rate freeze ONLY on the condition that FAMCO accept the addition of three inferior plans to the menu of plan designs. Not only are these three additional plans the very same ones that our members roundly rejected this time last year, the administration waited until just the final weeks before open enrollment to return to any proposals on plan option changes, foreclosing the opportunity for any real deliberation and collaboration on new plan designs that satisfy the real concerns of our members.
Members may recall that the administration engaged in the same delay of game tactics last year when FAMCO brought member plan design concerns to the reopener table.
In rejecting our non-conditional freeze proposal, the administration once again has framed their attempts to rush through a highly problematic restructuring of our health benefits program as simply their wish to offer employees plan “choice.”
FAMCO’s position is that our members should not have to choose between fair rates and the sustainability of the high quality plans our members deserve.
We know the University can afford to make the right decision on both fair rates and a fair path toward any sustainable further restructuring of the employee benefits program.
The FAMCO negotiating team is back at the table on Monday, and we invite members who are interested to show your support to join us as observers.
For more information on how you can serve as an observer, please contact FAMCO field coordinator, Sanjana Ragudaran
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Update from the Bargaining Table
On Oct. 9, 2023, the FAMCO Healthcare Team and MU administration met at the bargaining table for the first time in five months since numerous information requests and an active unfair labor practice (ULP) charge. The employer’s team was not prepared with a written proposal, delaying negotiations.
When reviewing the proposal, we had questions pertaining to how the employers got to the numbers they proposed in the counter. The employers proposed a 9% increase on our premium equivalents which in effect would nullify the 3% pay raises we negotiated for 2024 and could in fact be a pay cut. Not only is this increase extraordinary, but our research suggests that it does not align with the actual costs to the university. We’ll be back at the table on Oct. 23 to share a proposal that reflects our goal to negotiate fair rates or a freeze for 2024.
#FairOrFreeze!
Go Union!
Megan Delaney, PhD, LPC
Associate Professor
Department of Professional Counseling
Monmouth University -
FAMCO is ready for October 2nd
We are scheduled to go back to the healthcare bargaining table Monday, October 2nd on Zoom. We have FAMCO members lined up to be observers. The ball is in the court of the administration to return to the table with a counter proposal.
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Progress Report: President’s Response to Our Call for Transparency
We’ve received a response from President Leahy regarding our open letter, and we want to commend all Monmouth faculty for your relentless commitment to this cause. While we have not yet received the complete “FEBP 2024” document, President Leahy has acknowledged our concerns and committed to providing us with the necessary information for fair bargaining promptly. He scheduled meetings with key individuals for today (September 5, 2023) and has promised to provide us with further details shortly. While this is a positive sign of progress, our work is far from over. We must remain vigilant and hold the administration accountable for delivering the transparency we seek. Your unity and determination are driving this change, and we have full confidence that together, we will achieve the equitable outcome we’re striving for.
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Honoring Our Collective Strength
Happy Labor Day! Today, we celebrate the hard-earned achievements of the labor movement and the contributions of workers across the nation.
Labor Day is not just a day off; it’s a day to recognize the power of unity and the results of collective action. Unions stand as a testament to what can be achieved when individuals come together with a shared purpose and a commitment to fairness. Unions have fought for our rights, championed equality, and ensured that our voices are heard in the places where decisions are made.
From negotiating better working conditions to securing fair wages and advocating for the best possible benefits, the impact of unions is woven into the fabric of our communities. The progress made did not come without effort, and it’s essential that we take a moment today to reflect on how far we’ve come, both as individuals and united.
This Labor Day, let’s also acknowledge that there is still work to be done. As we continue to navigate the challenges of an ever-changing landscape, we must stand strong in our commitment to one another. Our unity is our strength, and it’s what allows us to drive meaningful change that benefits us all.
In the spirit of this day, I encourage you to reach out to your fellow workers, share stories of union victories, and remind one another of the importance of the work we do. Your dedication and passion is instrumental in building a union’s legacy, and your continued engagement will shape the path forward.
As we gather with our loved ones, let’s also take a moment to honor the countless workers who have come before us, paving the way for the rights and privileges we enjoy today. Labor Day is a reminder that our progress is built on the shoulders of those who dared to dream of a better future.
Thank you for your unwavering commitment to our union and our community. Together, we are making a difference that will resonate for generations to come. Happy Labor Day!
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FAMCO Filing ULP After Repeated Delays from Administration
The Faculty Association of Monmouth University (FAMCO) today is filing an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) for the administration’s failure to provide necessary and important information for negotiating healthcare premiums for the upcoming final year of our current contract with Monmouth University. The data in question is the following document:
- The FEBP 2024
We need to review this information because we are committed to moving forward toward a settlement. We are concerned about the University’s continued delays in providing this information to fulfill the union’s request as best as the University is able–information that is available or can be made available to the University by Segal. This delay includes our agreement to postpone three bargaining sessions to allow the University additional time to obtain the Horizon claims experience as reviewed by Segal.
The information we have repeatedly requested is essential to bargaining premiums for 2024. FAMCO requested the information above be delivered on or before Wednesday, June 14 (after multiple previous requests) so that we can proceed with informed discussions. We also requested that the University confirm if parts of the information we have been requesting do not exist in any form by Wednesday June 14 so that we know the University can meet its obligation to provide the information requested, including in any preliminary or partial capacity as it pertains to understanding the costs of healthcare to the University.
FAMCO is taking action for fairness by filing an Unfair Labor Practice as Monmouth University fails to provide vital information for negotiating healthcare premiums, hindering progress towards a settlement and raising concerns about transparency and fulfilling obligations. Stay tuned for more!
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The Persistent Gender Pay Gap in Higher Education: The Troubling Reality for Faculty
According to the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Annual Report, higher education faculty, after adjusting for inflation, saw a 2.4% drop in their real earnings despite a 4.1% increase in their pay in 2021-22. Shockingly, over the same period, presidents’ salaries rose by 9.6% and chief financial officers’ pay increased by 12.7%. The report also highlights the high level of precarity among teaching staff and the significant salary gap between female and male professors.
FAMCO President Johanna Foster makes a special appearance expressing deep concern over the widening gender salary gaps and the inexcusable persistence of such disparities despite 60 years since the signing of the Equal Pay Act.
Read and share this report to join the discussion on the persistent gender disparities and income inequality in academia!
https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20230621152458582%5C
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Monmouth University Hires New Lawyer, Still Won’t Deliver Health Benefits Info to Union
The Monmouth administration has delayed providing important and necessary information for negotiating healthcare premiums for the upcoming final year of our contract with Monmouth University. In addition, the University has hired a new lawyer just to negotiate with FAMCO: John C. Romeo, whom Rider University brought in to bully their faculty union, as well. Despite shelling out an unknown amount for Romeo’s services, the university is not moving any faster to provide the information we have requested multiple times since March. The Information in question are the following sets of documents:
- The 2021 and 2022 Horizon claims experience as reviewed by Segal, including the FEBP 2022
- Settlements received by Monmouth from Horizon for 2019-2021
- Summary of the meeting and all 2022 year end reports from Segal and Horizon from the April 12 meeting with Horizon and Segal
We would like you to join us on Zoom Tuesday afternoon to discuss what we can do about this.
We need to review this information because we are committed to moving forward toward a settlement. We are concerned about the University’s continued delays in providing this information to fulfill the union’s request as best as the University is able–information that is available or can be made available to the University by Segal. This delay includes our agreement to postpone two bargaining sessions to allow the University additional time to obtain the Horizon claims experience as reviewed by Segal, which we still have not received. John Romeo was also hired during this time.
The information we have repeatedly requested is essential to bargaining premiums for 2024. FAMCO requested the information above be delivered on or before Friday, May 19 (after multiple previous requests) so that we can proceed with informed discussions. We also requested that the University confirm if parts of the information we have been requesting do not exist in any form by Friday, May 19 so that we know the University can meet its obligation to provide the information requested, including in any preliminary or partial capacity as it pertains to understanding the costs of healthcare to the University.
To discuss what we can do about this delay, we request your attention on Tuesday afternoon on Zoom. Watch your email for an invite to this meeting. We are looking forward to seeing you there! Solidarity forever!
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Important Meeting May 9th on the Future of Healthcare
FAMCO’s Healthcare Bargaining team will resume negotiations with the administration on May 12th, 2023 at 9am. Despite our multiple requests for relevant information, such as Monmouth’s annual budget reports and settlements received from Horizon between 2019 and 2022, we are still waiting for this information. Our primary objective is still to secure fair premiums for our members!
Since our last bargaining session on March 24th, 2023, the administration has hired an external counsel, John C. Romeo, a labor law specialist who recently negotiated with Rider’s union. This decision raises serious concerns, including how much the university is spending on this consultant and what choosing this kind of lawyer says about the administration’s intentions in negotiations. We want to address these questions and more with you. Join us for an important FAMCO meeting on Tuesday, May 9th at 3pm via Zoom.
Let’s stand together and show our strength. Go Union! Go FAMCO!
The Faculty Association of Monmouth University
Monmouth University Faculty for Academic Freedom
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