Contract Agreement Reached

The bargaining team today is pleased to announce that we have reached a tentative agreement with the University on a two year contact. I think it is safe to say the current agreement represents the best contract in GTFF history. Below is a list of the big highlights from the settlement. All full members will be receiving ballots over the next couple to weeks to vote on the proposed changes that would take effect in September 2008.

· Extension of the current heath care plan which includes a clause that the University will cover 20% cost increase to current benefits, plus 90% of all cost increase above the 20%.

· Also regarding the health care plan, the University will contribute towards raising the annual cap in health care benefits by giving $250,000 this year and another $250,000 the following year. This should be enough to raise the cap from its current level of $100,000 to $500,000 next year (08-09) and $1,000,000 the year after (09-10), which will allow GTFs to qualify for FHIAP.

· In addition to the current plan, the University will increase their contribution to GTFs with dependents by $100, by lowering the per-term premium for dependents from $165 to $65. This reduction in costs to the GTF is in part to offset childcare costs.

· 8% raise to the minimum salary over two years, 4% this year and 4% the year after next.

· $56 reduction in fees per-term, reducing the costs to GTFs from $206 per-term to $150 per-term.

· The extension of the tuition waiver to GTFs who take an “intersession” course.

· The University agreed to cover the matriculation fee assessed to all new GTFs in the fall who have a GTF assignment. Currently new fall GTFs to the University pay a $250 onetime fee. This contract would mark the end of GTFs paying this fee.

· Two weeks of paid vacation for GTFs with at least a 9 month research position.

· The ability of GTFs to request a reassignment for positions in which they don’t feel safe.

· Increased access to supplies, computers, private meeting space, and office space for GTFs.

· Additional benefits will be described later.

The bargaining team is extremely happy with the progress that has been made and we are excited by the current proposal. Thank you for all of you support, only when we stood in solidarity were we able to reach such a momentous agreement. The current proposal includes benefit improvements that many of our member needed, including a significant reduction in fees, decent increases in the minimum salary and maybe most important a raise in the annual health care cap, a benefit that many of our members have unfortunately demonstrated the need for. With this raise in the annual cap, GTFs will have added protection from and unpredictable catastrophic events that often leads to significant financial and other hardships.

In Respectful Solidarity,

Mark Leymon, President GTFF