WINONA, Minn. – Negotiators for MinnState universities and the faculty union have reached a tentative contract agreement thet includes 10.3% salary hike over two years. The state president oof the union, Jenna Chernega of Winona State, praised both sides:
“This round of negotiations was fast and furious. The negotiations team was willing to work throughout the summer to get this contract settled quickly without leaving anything on the table. The IFO team and MinnState reps met for 10 days from May through July and reached one of the largest and earliest settlements in Inter-Faculty Organization history.”
If IFO members ratify the deal, the raise swould apply also to part-time faculty. Among other provisions:
> Reduced teaching loads for online high-tech instruction called “hyflex/multi-modal courses.”
> Full tuition waivers for dependents, spouses or domestic partners MinnState community or technical colleges.
An open question: Whether the IFO terms will be a model for MinnState contract negotiations with other unions. The deal does, however, relieve the labor burden for incoming MinnState Chancellor Scott Olson from Winona State.
MinnState
> Bemidji State.
> Metropolitan State.
> Minnesota State, Mankato.
> Minnesota State Moorhead.
> Southwest Minnesota State.
> St. Cloud State.
> Winona State.
Faculty at MinnState two-year campuses are covered by a separate contract.