Joint Statement from Bob Hickey, UFC President and Wayne Quirk, CWU AVP

Central Washington University and the United Faculty of Central are pleased to announce that an agreement on wages was reached last night at 11:30. The collaboration at the table resulted in the last piece of a re-opener to the current contract. The re-opener provision in the original contract provided for new negotiations on wages and two articles chosen by each negotiating team. Earlier this summer the negotiating teams reached agreement on the three articles that formed the other pieces of the re-opener. The agreement reached yesterday on wages provides for performance adjustments, across the board increases, and bonus dollars. The terms of the articles and wage agreement now go to the United Faculty of Central bargaining unit for ratification. In the interest of moving the agreement forward, the UFC agreed to organize a ratification vote on Thursday, December 6, 2007. The agreement will then be presented to the Board of Trustees.

The tentative agreement was signed after an extended one day session of conversations and shaping proposals. Many of the bargaining team members also serve on the Labor Management Council, a group that is charged with communications and problem solving. Clearly, the trust and ability to communicate among members contributed to the bargaining team reaching an agreement that advances the university’s goal to establish faculty salaries that allow us to recruit and retain quality faculty. Our common goal of providing a quality education for our students is served by the current agreement.

Wayne Quirk, AVP
Bob Hickey, President UFC

Wayne S. Quirk, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President of Graduate Studies and Research