Graduate employees union's new contract takes effect

After months of negotiations with the university, the Graduate Employees Union’s new three-year contract will go into effect tomorrow.

The contract was ratified by 97 percent of the union’s general membership through an online vote with no changes from the tentative agreement the union reached with the university on April 22.

The contract addresses reducing the co-pay for mental health from $30 to $10 per visit.

“This wasn’t in the strike platform, we didn’t even think it was possible,” said Sandra Schmidt, president of the union.

Members will also be granted 25 mental health visits per year, up from 20.

Schmidt said this is a substantial gain which reflects a campus-wide concern for improving mental health conditions.

“Not everyone uses it, but more people should,” Schmidt said.

Matt Helm, director for health and wellness and career services, said mental and emotional health is a national issue for graduate students.

“Stress was one of the number one health-related negative contributions to poor academic performance,” he said, citing data from a study he conducted.

“I’m in favor of graduate students being socialized from the minute they step onto our campus into a holistic campus culture — that includes mental health, emotional health.”

Other issues were also addressed by the new contract.

“The most important gain for the union at large is the very large increase for benefits in dependent coverage,” said Ed Corcoran, information officer for the union.

The contract increases dependent coverage to $2,100 per year.

It’s significant that it’s not just a small addition,” Schmidt said.

For the 2007-08 school year, dependent coverage was $1,300, which was only a $200 increase from $1,100 in 2005-06.

Union members will also receive a stepped wage increase, with a 3 percent increase the first year, followed by a 2.75 and a 2.5 percent increase the following years.

“It doesn’t keep up with the cost of living, but it’s the best we’ve gotten,” Schmidt said.

This will be the change that union members will recognize immediately, whereas the change in health benefits will only affect members when they need to utilize them, Corcoran said.

“I was not part of the negotiating team, but I think that those who were engaged in the process did an excellent job and all members of the MSU family should be proud of the result,” said Tony Nunez, associate dean of the Graduate School in an e-mail.

Karen Klomparens, dean of the Graduate School, also was pleased with the new contract.

“It has a number of important professional development aspects, such as the orientation to specific courses and disciplinary pedagogy, as well as additional benefits, such as (an) extra tuition credit for the summer and dependent health care coverage,” she said.

A big project for the union over the summer will be educating union members and faculty about the new contract, Schmidt said.

“We have to focus on making sure the transition is fluid, smooth,” she said. “We need to get the literature ready to give out, and get more people in the know.”

Published on Wednesday, May 14, 2008