Kent State University and the full-time non-tenure-track faculty unit of the American Association of University Professors, Kent State Chapter announced Thursday they had tentatively agreed to a collective bargaining agreement.

Negotiations for the tentative agreement, which will cover Aug. 16, 2005 through Aug. 16, 2008, began June 13.

The agreement will give non-tenure-track faculty a 3 percent annual raise during the three years of the contract, said Tracy Laux, AAUP Non-Tenure-Track Faculty President. The agreement also gives a 1 percent raise, which had previously been based on performance, to all non-tenure-track faculty.

The agreement also increases the minimum salary floors for non-tenure-track faculty, Laux said. The minimum salary for a nine-month contract will be $33,000 for instructors, $35,500 for lecturers and assistant professors, $38,000 for associate professors and $40,500 for professors.

The agreement includes a health-care plan “almost identical” to the plan that tenure-track faculty members negotiated with the university, Laux said. The non-tenure-track health plan does not include the controversial health care cost “pass through” that was a sticking point in the tenure-track faculty negotiations.

Another part of the agreement is a representation fee, Laux said. The fee would require all members of the bargaining unit to pay dues for the benefits they receive from the AAUP’s collective bargaining unit, Laux said.

A vote on the representative fee will be conducted Nov. 1 and must pass with a majority of the total eligible members of the bargaining unit. If the representation fee is passed, it will go into effect August 2006.

Ballots have been mailed to all non-tenure-track members and are due Aug. 18. Laux said he expects the contract to be approved.

The tentative agreement is currently available at the AAUP’s Web site, dept.kent.edu/aaup.

When they announced the tentative agreement, Sandra Eaglen, chief negotiator for the faculty unit, and Gayle Ormiston, chief negotiator for the university, said negotiations were conducted and completed in a mutually respectful and collaborative manner.

“It was a positive and fruitful experience,” Ormiston said.

Contact on-campus reporter Amanda Garrett at [email protected].