The University of West Florida Board of Trustees unanimously voted to ratify the 2014-17 Collective Bargaining Agreement today during its quarterly meeting. This follows 16 months of negotiations between UWF and faculty members represented by the United Faculty of Florida.
On Wednesday, Dec. 3, the UWF chapter of the UFF voted 82-0 in favor of the bargaining agreement. Today’s ratification vote marks the final step to approve the contract, which provides for a 1.9 percent recurring wage increase for in-unit faculty effective Jan. 1, 2015, and a 1.9 percent one-time bonus for in-unit faculty.
“We’re thrilled with the outcome of this agreement,†UWF President Judy Bense said. “We would not be where we are today without the dedication of our high-quality faculty, and we will continue to work with them to ensure they have the resources needed to prepare our students for successful careers.â€
Highlights of the agreement include:
–A memorandum of understanding to include a 1.9 percent recurring wage increase for in-unit faculty for the 2015-16 fiscal year if UWF receives sufficient performance-based funding dollars from the Florida Board of Governors.
–A revised Sustained Performance Evaluation system for professors, university librarians, associate professors and associate librarians every sixth year after their initial tenure. The individual’s sustained performance and professional growth will be evaluated, and successful evaluations will now result in salary increases to base ranging from $2,000 to $6,000 depending upon rank and level of performance.
–Establishment of a structure for multi-year contracts for instructors and lecturers. The contract schedule would include three-year contracts including a wage increase of $1,000 with every second three-year contract for high performing instructors and lecturers.
–A memorandum of understanding to develop a program for domestic partner benefits within 12 months.