The U of M presented UMFA with an amended proposal on Feb. 19, 2025. The proposal follows discussions from October 2024 and outlines a four-year agreement focused on stability and salary growth for faculty members.
The university aims to address key concerns in this amended proposal about all issues concerning the new collective agreement package. The parties will reconvene on March 3 and 4 to continue these negotiations.
According to the university’s website, it is committed to improving salaries for professorial ranks. It aims to reach the 25th percentile of U15 institutions, and it believes this will help recruit and keep high quality faculty. The university recognizes that faculty are essential to its mission and strategic plan called MomentUM: Leading Change Together.
The proposed salary enhancements are based on a combination of general salary increases, structural adjustments and special adjustments. The amended proposal keeps the 11.25 per cent general salary increase over four years with annual increases of 2.5 per cent, 2.75 per cent, three per cent and three per cent. The proposal also adjusts salary scales to keep senior instructor and associate professor at the same level, as well as instructor II and assistant professor.
All salary adjustments are effective April 1, 2024. Professors will receive a $12,000 adjustment and a special adjustment of up to $10,000, limited by the rank range maximum. Associate professors will receive a $3,000 adjustment to the maximum salary. Assistant professors will receive a $1,500 adjustment to the maximum salary and a special adjustment of up to $3,000, also limited by the rank range maximum.
Additionally, lecturers will receive a $1,500 adjustment to the maximum salary. Senior instructors will receive a $3,000 adjustment, aligning their pay band with associate professors. Instructor I will receive a $1,500 adjustment to the maximum salary. Librarian, associate librarian, assistant librarian and general librarian ranks will also get an adjustment of $1,500 to their maximum salary.
Rate increases for summer session one and two, extended education and off-campus university credit courses remain in the proposal. The proposal for administrative stipend adjustments will include a stipend increase of 2.5 per cent plus a five per cent structural adjustment, totaling 7.5 per cent in year one. In year two, it will include an increase of 2.75 per cent plus a five per cent structural adjustment, totaling 7.75 per cent. In year three and four, stipends will increase by three per cent each year.
Additional highlights of the proposal cover measures to advance Indigenous reconciliation and equity, diversity and inclusion which will include revision of committee structures to ensure marginalized and disadvantaged groups are included in search, tenure and promotion committees. It will also require the committee to balance gender diversity within these committees. Additionally, the proposal updates language to recognize the unique experiences of Indigenous peoples as distinct from those of other marginalized and disadvantaged groups.
The proposal adds new definitions and approaches for in-person and non-in-person course instruction. It will also require deans to seek input from faculty on administrative support needs for the upcoming year.
It also introduces new language on compassionate care leave, outlining provisions for faculty members who need to take up to 28 days of time off to care for critically ill loved ones.
