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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NEWS............................2

ARTS.............................4

M I C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

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STATEMENT......... INSERT
michigandaily.com

For more stories and coverage, visit
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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

