CMU, Faculty Association ratify new 5-year bargaining agreement

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Central Michigan University and the CMU Faculty Association have ratified a new five-year collective bargaining agreement.

According to The Morning Sun newspaper out of Mt. Pleasant, the basics of the deal were reached in early July, days after the previous CBA expired on June 30.

In a statement, university officials said both sides met 11 times over the course of May and June for formal bargaining sessions. The new agreement provides annual raises over the next five years along with increased contributions to faculty medical insurance and more support for paternal leave and sabbatical leave.

In past reporting, The Morning Sun indicated salary was not the only sticking point but was the largest obstacle in the latest deal. The CMUFA argued incremental raises in the previous CBA fell well short of inflation and other economic challenges, effectively resulting in pay cuts.

Dennis Armistead, the executive director of faculty personnel services for CMU, says all in all, both sides are pleased with the new CBA.

“Throughout our meetings, both CMU and Faculty Association representatives worked in good faith to wrestle with and come to an accord on several important and complex matters,” Armistead said in a statement .

The new CBA takes effect retroactively to July 1 and runs through June 30, 2029.

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