Faculty bargaining units in three technical colleges have recently settled contracts. Details appear below. We will provide details of several support staff settlements in the next Tech Memo. 

Gateway Technical College

The Gateway Technical Education Association (WEAC) recently settled its 2007-10 contract with Gateway Technical College. The contract includes a significant change to the college’s calendar. The agreement’s Alternative Calendar language allows programs to move to year-round operations or a non-traditional two semester calendar (e.g. summer, fall) based on curricular needs. Faculty, the program curriculum committee, and the dean determine if the program’s curriculum allow for year-round operation. The standard calendar will used through 2008-09. Thereafter, programs on an alternative calendar will run three 15-week semesters.  There is no effect on base pay.    

The Gateway contract also contains new intellectual property language, based largely on Worldwide Instructional Design System (WIDS) concepts. “Above the line” items (e.g. program learning outcomes, course competencies, course descriptions) are the property of the districts. “Below the line” items for which faculty members are not specifically compensated (e.g. learning objects, handouts, learning activities, assessment activities) are the property of the creator. The language also spells out specific circumstances under which intellectual property is co-owned by the college and teacher.

Under the new agreement, GTEA did agree to a new health plan – the WEA Trust’s Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) – and to pay 3% of premium. The previous agreement required payment of a minimal flat dollar amount. Under the new plan, both single and family deductibles decrease substantially. 

ESL instructors receive a workload reduction, as do ADN, LPN, nursing assistant and speech therapy instructors teaching clinical sections. 

Salaries increase by 3.5% in 2007-08, 3.25% in 2008-09, and 3.25% in 2009-10.

Milwaukee Area Technical College

The American Federation of Teachers, Local 212, ratified its 2006-2009 contract after a lengthy negotiation with Milwaukee Area Technical College. Full-time faculty members at MATC-Milwaukee, who were working for more than a year without a contract, were able to defend the contract against numerous take-backs proposed by the college administration. For example, college administrators pushed hard to reduce early retirement benefits for new hires. But Local 212 members were resolved to protect the benefit, and ultimately college administrators dropped the proposal.

The faculty settlement includes a 2.75% increase retroactive to 2006-07 and 3.25% increases in both 2007-08 and 2008-09.

The faculty agreed to contribute a flat dollar amount for health insurance premiums. The plan deductible for MATC-Milwaukee’s preferred provider option (PPO) increases slightly. The maximum annual dental benefit is increased by $500, to $2,500.   

The new contract provides health and dental coverage to same-sex domestic partners.

Madison Area Technical College

Full-time faculty at MATC, represented by AFT, Local 243, recently ratified their 2007-2010 contract. Faculty bargained a 3% increase for 2007-08 and 3.5% increases for both 2008-09 and 2009-10. 

The contract also ensures full college funding for transition to a new workload model. In addition to instructional time, the new workload model is designed to formally recognize faculty members’ role in institutional/community service and provide time for professional development.

The new contract includes a stipend for faculty that teach online and hybrid courses, protects the existing early retirement system and links non-teaching/substitute pay rates to the salary schedule and regular incremental pay increases.

A committee will be established to investigate transition to a three-semester calendar with “UW alignment.”