WWU, Faculty Union Negotiators Reach Accord

DATE: August 25, 2009 10:58:32 AM PDT

Contact: University Communications, (360) 650-3350; Steven Garfinkle, UFWW President, at Steven.Garfinkle@wwu.edu

Aug. 25, 2009

BELLINGHAM – Bargaining teams from both the Western Washington University administration and the United Faculty of Western Washington (UFWW) have reached accord on a few subjects reopened for bargaining.

“If the agreement is ratified by the union membership, I welcome the opportunity to recommend this to the Board of Trustees. WWU has been affirmed as the premier institution of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. A major reason for that distinction rests with the quality of our faculty. This agreement recognizes the quality performance of our faculty and enhances our ability to retain them,” said WWU President Bruce Shepard. “I appreciate the diligence and leadership of the bargaining teams.”

Last year, the WWU Board of Trustees and the UFWW approved the university’s first faculty union contract. Under terms of that three-year agreement, certain sections of the contract could be reopened for review. The bargaining teams recently agreed on some issues dealing with compensation for all faculty and working conditions relating to non-tenure track faculty, or those faculty members who are hired on a contract basis to teach at Western.

“On behalf of the Executive Board of UFWW, I would like to thank both bargaining teams for their hard work,” said Steven Garfinkle, UFWW President. “In the midst of the most difficult economic conditions of recent memory, this agreement helps strengthen the core of the University and ensures Western’s long-term stability.”

The UFWW executive committee on Friday agreed to ask its members to ratify the changes when fall quarter begins. The agreement then would go to the Board of Trustees for their consideration.

For more information about the UFWW, please see their Web site at www.ufww.org.

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