Poly faculty about to see salaries rise considerably
SLO Tribune 4/4/07
The contract calls for professors, librarians, counselors and coaches at Cal Poly and the 22 other CSU campuses to receive raises in phases retroactive to last July and through 2010.
Then, various groups will receive additional raises, based on merit, seniority and new steps created in their pay ladders.
As a result, the typical faculty member will wind up with a total raise of between 23 percent and 25 percent, although some might receive more than 31 percent over the four years, according to the union.
Lecturers make up the majority of the teaching staff, and their basic raises would increase their average annual pay in two categories to about $54,000 and $66,222 with a full load of teaching.
Average salaries for assistant and associate professors on the tenure track would rise to $90,749 and for full-time, fully tenured professors to $105,465, according to the university.
The contract would also limit increases in parking fees so they don't outpace the faculty raises.
The agreement would help close the gap between CSU salaries and those at comparable universities around the country, negotiators said.
Cal Poly Provost William Durgin said he's happy that the gap in faculty salaries would be narrowed under the deal. He anticipates the agreement would reduce distractions over the negotiations and the potential strike.
"We're very pleased to see the issue come to a resolution," Durgin said.
Given the expected contract approval, California Faculty Association leaders have put on hold their plans for a series of two-day rolling strikes that would have started next week.
The contract language still must be ratified, which is expected this week, according to union officials.
A report by an independent mediator in the contract talks recommended a series of pay raises totaling as much as 24.8 percent by 2010. Her report found that salaries at Cal Poly and other CSU campuses lag behind comparable institutions by double-digit gaps.
Union President John Travis said the new contract would close the gap entirely for assistant and associate professors and narrow the gap more than 50 percent for full professors.
"We pretty much got everything that we asked for," Travis said. "By and large, we're pretty happy with the agreement."