State university faculty and MnSCU officials reach tentative labor agreement
A tentative labor agreement was struck today (Feb. 12) between the Inter Faculty Organization (IFO) — a group representing more than 3,000 faculty staff at the seven state universities — and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) officials.
It calls for no across-the-board salary increases or annual step increases for the next two years.
The current labor contract expires on June 30.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty has been calling for government employee salary freezes.
Rod Henry, IFO president, said in a press release the tentative agreement is “appropriate for these extraordinary times.”
MnSCU Chancellor James McCormick said the early-reached contract agreement would give state university presidents certainty as they planned for budget cuts.
“We are hopeful that maintaining salaries at current levels will result in fewer layoffs and fewer severe program cuts than they otherwise would have planned,” McCormick said in the press release.
