Representatives
from
the
Lecturers’ Employee Organization,
the union representing lecturers,
archivists and librarians across
all three University of Michigan
campuses, announced in a press
release on Sept. 13 that they have
reached a tentative agreement with
the University’s administration
after nine months of negotiations.
The
tentative
agreement
includes a $51,000 starting salary
for lecturers on all three University
campuses starting in the 2023-
2024 school year. The salary
increase is a $10,000 jump for
lecturers on the Flint and Dearborn
campuses, fulfilling one of LEO’s
demands for pay parity across all
three campuses.
“In addition to the historic
victory in minimum salaries, the
contract would include longevity
raises,
increased
job
security
provisions, enhanced sick pay, and
teaching professor titles for longer
serving lecturers,” the press release
reads.
Contract negotiations between
LEO and the University had up
to this point been unsuccessful,
primarily due to disagreements
over LEO’s demands for pay parity
across the three U-M campuses.
On Aug. 9, LEO members voted to
quit their current contract with
the University, meaning they were
no longer contractually prohibited
from going on strike 30 days after
the vote.
In a march on campus shortly
after the union announced its
decision to quit the contract, the
organization’s
members
were
joined by lecturers, students and
community members in support of
their demands.
Following further negotiations,
LEO members voted to extend
their contract with the University
to Sept. 15 from Sept. 8, when it was
originally set to expire, with hopes
of reaching an agreement without a
strike. The Sept. 13 announcement
comes just two days before the
deadline.
The Michigan Daily conducted a
data analysis in April 2021 showing
a historical trend of pay disparity
between the Ann Arbor, Dearborn
and Flint campuses over the last 19
years.
Dominick
Fanelli,
chief
negotiator for the University, wrote
in a statement obtained by The
Daily that the tentative agreement
represents a win for both LEO and
the University’s administration.
“We are pleased to have
reached
an
agreement
that
provides
a
fair
salary
and
maintains the university’s goal
of
providing
much
needed
flexibility in benefits, as well
as
continuing
security
for
lecturers,” Fanelli wrote.
LEO president Kristen Herold
wrote in the release that while
all of LEO’s demands are not
being met by the new contract,
the contract signifies a historic
gain for the union.
Student
organizers
who
intended to live at the new
The One Ann Arbor apartment
complex delivered an open
letter to the University of
Michigan dean of students on
Sept. 10. The group is asking
the University to help provide
support for the more than
600 displaced students who
planned to live at The One this
school year.
The
One
is
a
newly
constructed
off-campus
housing development located
on Pontiac Trail in Ann Arbor,
over two miles away from
Central Campus. Most of its
tenants are students, who were
notified on Aug. 19 — five days
prior to their expected move-
in date — of construction
delays that would push back
their move-in date to Sep. 9.
Ten days later on Aug. 29,
tenants were again told that
more
delays
have
further
pushed back their move-in
date,
leaving
U-M
student
tenants still unable to live in
the apartment complex one day
before the first day of classes.
John Harris, principal at
Trinitas Ventures, the parent
company of The One, told
The Michigan Daily in an
email Wednesday that The
One received nine temporary
certificates of occupancy Sept.
8 and had 45 students move
into the complex Sept. 9.
Harris didn’t immediately
reply to request for comment
when asked about the latest
tenant open letter to the U-M
Dean of Students office or
about
former
and
current
tenants’ continued concerns.
When speaking about the
experience, LSA senior Krystal
Webb, a former tenant who
terminated her lease, said she
felt stressed with the constant
uncertainty of her temporary
living situation. She also said
she felt that the whole ordeal
was taking a negative toll on
her mental health.
michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
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The One student tenants ask UMich
for assistance after move-in delays
CHRISTIAN JULIANO &
JUSTINE RA
Daily Staff Reporters
Community members say lack of masks, social distancing at games could increase virus spread
VANESSA KIEFER
Daily Staff Reporter
ACADEMICS
Lecturers’ union
comes to tentative
agreement with ‘U’
Contract has starting pay parity, longevity raises
DOMINICK SOKOTOFF/Daily
Student organizers who intended to live at the new The One Ann Arbor apartment complex delivered an open letter to the University of Michigan dean of students.
ADMINISTRATION
Organizers request support through meal swipes, virtual learning opportunities
GEORGE WEYKAMP
Daily Staff Reporter
ANN ARBOR
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Michigan Stadium opened its
gates on Sept. 4 to more than
100,000 fans eager to see the
Wolverines take on Western
Michigan University live and in
action.
Some University of Michigan
community members and Ann
Arbor residents, though, have
expressed concerns that the
upcoming season and events
associated with it will heighten
the spread of COVID-19 as cases
rise.
Following the 2020 season,
which halted ticket sales to the
general public and introduced a
conference-only game schedule,
the
University
released
a
comparatively lenient set of
health protocols for the 2021
season.
According to the University’s
Athletics Face Covering Policy,
which was last updated on Aug.
18, capacities at home athletic
events are not to be reduced.
Fans are also encouraged, but
not required, to wear masks in
the outdoor stadium sections.
Guests are required to wear
face coverings when in any
indoor area, regardless of their
vaccination status.
University spokesperson Kim
Broekhuizen wrote in an email
to The Michigan Daily that
while the University’s academic
missions continue to be their top
priority, Michigan football is an
important part of Ann Arbor’s
community culture.
“We
have
worked
with
medical
experts
across
the
university
and
state
and
local governments to find a
balance
that
allows
events
and gatherings to continue on
campus while still providing a
safe atmosphere,” Broekhuizen
wrote.
“(Athletic
Director
Warde) Manuel has been a
relentless advocate for the safety
of our student-athletes.”
The University is keeping
a close eye on the spread of
COVID-19, Broekhuizen wrote,
especially on cases stemming
from community events.
“We will continue to monitor
viral activity closely, especially
in relation to games and other
large
events,
and
will
not
hesitate to adjust the policy as
needed,” Broekhuizen said.
MADELINE HINKLEY/Daily
Fans are encouraged, but not required, to wear masks in the outdoor stadium sections.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
The University of Michigan has
approved 662 vaccine exemptions,
less than 2% of the Ann Arbor
campus’
student
population,
and
denied
an
additional
95
exemptions, according to University
spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald.
In an email to The Michigan
Daily, Fitzgerald wrote that each
exemption was evaluated on an
individual basis.
“Exemption
requests
are
reviewed by designated U-M staff
members from a number of units,
including University Health Service,
Student Life, Human Resources and
Occupational Health Services, as
well as representatives from all three
campuses and the health system,
when appropriate,” Fitzgerald wrote.
On July 30, University President
Mark Schlissel announced that
faculty, staff and students across all
three University campuses, as well as
Michigan Medicine, were required
to be fully vaccinated against
COVID-19 by the first day of classes.
Schlissel’s
announcement
included “limited” religious and
medical
exemptions
subject
to
University
approval.
Individuals
with exemptions have to participate
in mandatory weekly COVID-19
testing.
As of Sept. 8, 93% of students
have reported their full vaccination
sequence. According to Fitzgerald,
the remaining 5% of students
who have not self-reported a full
vaccination nor been given an
exemption
are
either
partially
vaccinated or in the process of
requesting an exemption.
79% of staff and 92% of faculty
on the Ann Arbor campus have also
reported their full vaccination.
Students who have not reported
their vaccination status and have
not received an exemption or a
deferment had an administrative
hold placed on their account starting
Aug. 30.
Fitzgerald wrote the majority of
vaccine exemptions granted by the
University were religious. In order
to receive a religious exemption,
students had to prove that getting the
vaccine violated their sincerely-held
religious view in a written statement
and complete the COVID-19 safety
module.
Engineering
senior
Brannon
Kincaid said he applied for a religious
exemption that has since been
approved by the University. Kincaid
said he spent time praying and
decided now was not the right time
to get a vaccine.
“Basically everything that you do
(in Christianity) is to glorify God in
a way, and to go to God and pray for
most decisions,” Kincaid said. “And
basically, for me personally, I had
prayed about it, and at that point in
time I just decided it wasn’t the right
thing for me to do.”
Kincaid said the process of
receiving
an
exemption
was
relatively straightforward, though
he said there were some confusing
aspects of applying for one. Kincaid
said after applying on Aug. 4,
he didn’t hear anything until
Aug. 19, when he learned that his
exemption had been approved on
the condition that he complete a
COVID-19 safety module.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
COVID-19 protocols in Big House
concern some Ann Arbor residents
See THE ONE, Page 2
Approval granted
for 2% of vaccine
exemption requests
Majority of exceptions are for religious reasons
GEORGE WEYKAMP
Daily Staff Reporter