UMass Teachers Protest, Repeat Contract Demands

More than 100 faculty members of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (UMass) yesterday rallied inside the administration building to protest stalled contract talks.

Chanting "We want a contract," the demonstrations listened to speeches in the courtyard of the building and then marched upstairs where Provost Loren Baritz listened as faculty members outlined their demands for increased job security.

Baritz, who has been acting chancellor since Chancellor Henry Koffler suffered a heart attack 10 days ago, would not comment yesterday on the demonstration or the contract talks.

The Massachusetts Society of Professor, which represents about 1300 professors and librarians at UMass, is the university's only large union without a contract.

Facilitating Things

Peter d'Errico, president of the faculty union, said yesterday the union has tentatively agreed to bring in a "facilitator" to mediate some issues in the contract talks, although the union has not agreed to formal mediation of the dispute.

Carol Cohen, director of public affairs for UMass, said yesterday the two parties will hold three negotiating sessions before Christmas. But resolution of the contract dispute is unlikely before next year, Cohen added, because "there are still too many issues on the table."

The major issues in the talks are salaries and job security. The University has offered a 28-per-cent pay raise, while the union is demanding about "something closer to 30 per cent" over the next three years, d'Errico said. In addition, the union wants faculty members who work less than half-time to be paid for half-time work, he added.

The administration "can't afford" the extra half-time salaries, Cohen said, adding that in light of proposed state cuts in UMass's budget, it would be "better for everyone" if the union agreed to a contract quickly.

The university is trying to change the "traditional faculty role" as decision-makers by taking away their power in hiring, promoting and tenuring professors, d'Errico said. The stalled contract talks are partially due to "ineptness of the president's office," he added. "The president is trying to make all the decisions himself," d'Errico said.

David Knapp, president of UMass, left the Amherst campus just before the protest and could not be reached yesterday for comment.

University spokesman Arthur Clifford said yesterday the protest did not interrupt classes. Yesterday was the last day of classes before the semester break.

Union officials have scheduled another protest for February 4, the first day of second-semester classes, if the contract has not been settled.