Faculty Alliance of Miami continues to progress toward a new contract

The Faculty Alliance of Miami (FAM) has continued negotiating with upper university management toward a contract ensuring fair raises and more academic freedom.

FAM, unionized in 2022, works on various important issues in the prospective contract including pay raises and back pay. Cathy Wagner, English professor and contract action team co-chair for FAM said the union’s main priority is to protect the rights and integrity of the faculty and staff at the university.

“This contract should be ratified soon,” Wagner said. “I am nervous about making predictions, but we have been at this for over a year. Given the things we have left to decide, there is no reason for us not to wrap up this fall. It all depends on management.”

Over the summer, FAM came to an agreement with management on a memo regarding Artificial Intelligence. This memo is one of the first in higher education and follows nine different articles that were previously negotiated by FAM, including issues regarding fair compensation, job security and information on using new technology.

“[The alliance] has also reached an agreement on a memo of understanding about artificial intelligence, [which is] one of the first of its kind in the country, in higher education, if not the first of its kind,” Theresa Kulbaga, communications and social media chair for FAM, said.

FAM believes academic freedom is one of the most important issues on its docket and that a policy in regards to it should be in their contract.

“[Academic freedom] prevents us from being fired because of what we teach or because of what we publish,” Kulbaga said. “And it’s something that should be crucial to management too.”

FAM continues to push for raises for the faculty and staff to align with the cost of living and the inflation rate, which contrasts with the management’s annual 1.25% increase. Although FAM has made major strides in their fight for fair compensation, Kulbaga said there is still a long way to go.

Wagner said the union members believe that their work is central to the educational mission of the university, and they should be recognized as such through compensation.

The upper administrators at Miami’s salaries have increased by 30% or more since 2016, [while the faculty] has not seen that kind of increase at all,” Kulbaga said.

Members of the union continue to feel frustrated as they have not received any raises since 2022, Wagner said.

“There is something really sad about the university not accepting the raise proposal,” Wagner said. “One of the things we are fighting for is back pay, especially the faculty that retired last year. If we win back pay the retirees will win back pay. It’s egregious if [the university] doesn't do it.”