This document provides an overview of union contracts between Plymouth State University (PSU) and other universities, comparing PSU's contract to those of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and the University of Connecticut (UCONN). It discusses topics commonly found in contracts under the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) such as recognition, academic freedom, grievances, personnel files, salary, and tenure. The document also examines some topics unique to pairs of contracts, such as professional development provisions in UNH and PSU contracts and discipline policies in UCONN and PSU contracts.

1. Union Contracts:
The Overview and Comparison
Between PSU and other
Industry Contracts
Zachary Newquist

2. Table of Contents
• Slide 3 Union Contract
• Slide 4 Collective Bargaining Agreement
• Slide 5 The Two Committees
• Slide 6 Comparisons
• Slide 7 American Association of University
Professors (AAUP)
• Slide 8 AAUP Collective Bargaining Congress
• Slide 9 Contract Table of Contents
• Slide 10 Topics in Common UCONN+UNH+PSU
• Slide 11 Recognition
• Slide 12 Academic Freedom
• Slide 13 Non-Discrimination
• Slide 14 Grievances 1/2
• Slide 15 Grievances 2/2
• Slide 16 Personnel Files
• Slide 17 AAUP Rights
• Slide 18 Deductions (Dues)
• Slide 19 Salary
• Slide 20 Benefits
• Slide 21 Savings Clause
• Slide 22 Governance
• Slide 23 Tenure
• Slide 24 Workload
• Slide 25 Topics in Common UNH+ PSU +UCONN
• Slide 26 Management Faculty Rights (UNH+PSU)
• Slide 27 Development (UNH+PSU)
• Slide 28 Discipline (UCONN+PSU)
• Slide 29 Final Thoughts
• Slide 30 Bibliography

3. Union Contracts
Union Contracts are two-sided contracts that are in place
for multiple years. Under these contracts are a multitude
of clauses. Teams of representatives from both the labor
union and the employer create the terms of the
agreement. The employers team attempts to ratify their
own means, while the labor union attempts the same for
the employees of the company.

4. Collective Bargaining Agreement
These contracts are also called Collective Bargaining
Agreements. When in the process of creating the
contract the two sides discuss and quarrel over different
the terms of every section of the contract. These
agreements can take anywhere from a few months to a
few years to finish entirely.

5. The Two Committees
One committee is made up from the Businesses side and
is usually the Human Resources Director, possibly the
companies President, and generally a lawyer that is well
versed in business law.
The Union’s side is made up of the Union’s President, a
Union Business Agent, and a Union Stewart or in other
words someone employed by the company.

6. Comparisons
For the interest of the comparisons I will be using
Plymouth State Universities (PSU) Chapter along side
the University of New Hampshire's (UNH) Chapter as
well as a larger entity in the University or Connecticut
(UCONN) Chapter. These bargaining agreements will
compare nicely because they are under the American
Association of University Professors commonly know as
the AAUP. Officially they fall under the AAUPCBC.

7. American Association of
University Professors (AAUP)
“The AAUP is a nonprofit membership association of
faculty and other academic professionals” (aaup.org).
The goal of the AAUP for the last 104 years has been
advancing higher education through defining fundamental
processes and values. Their goal is the ensure the
integrity and quality of higher education and advance the
rights of academic freedom.

8. AAUPCBC (Collective Bargaining
Congress)
“The AAUP Collective Bargaining Congress is the
umbrella organization for unionized AAUP chapters. We
promote organizing among tenure-line and contingent
faculty, academic professionals, and graduate employees
and provide support to member chapters as they work to
protect shared governance and academic freedom, to
uphold professional standards and values, and to
promote quality higher education” (aaupcbc.org).

9. Table of Contents for each Contract
UCONN UNH PSU

10. Topics in Common
UCONN, UNH, PSU
• Recognition
• Academic Freedom
• Nondiscrimination
• Grievances
• Personnel Files
• AAUP Rights
• Deductions (Dues)
• Salary
• Benefits
• Savings Clause
• Governance
• Tenure

11. Recognition
The Recognition statement entails who falls under the
following agreement. In the case for UNH and PSU it is
all tenure-track employees. Under the UCONN’s
agreement there are many titles that can be
encompassed. Including associate, assistant, and full-
time professors, as well as many other types of
educators.

12. Academic Freedom
In each section of Academic Freedom the clauses state
that the freedom as the instructor is paramount. But they
must take caution in making sure that they do not use
any controversial topics if it does not pertain, and to
always be mindful that they represent their respective
Universities.

13. Non-Discrimination
This section just as the one before is very
straightforward. The following passage comes directly
from the PSU Bargaining Agreement but is similar in
each contract.
• “The University and the Bargaining Unit Members, to the extent of their respective
authority and responsibility, agree not to discriminate against employees of the
University on the basis of sex, race, age, religion, color, marital status, sexual
orientation, political affiliation, political belief or lawful political activity, veteran's
status, disability, national origin, gender identity or expression, membership or
nonmembership in AAUP, or involvement in AAUP activities as long as any such
status or activity is lawful. Nothing in this article shall preclude the University from
complying with legal requirements for verifying employee authorization to work in the
United States or to undertake other activities that are specifically permitted to public
employers by state or federal anti-discrimination laws” (PSU Bargaining Agreement).

14. Grievances 1/2
The Grievance process is in place for union members
who have issues with any part of the contract once it has
been ratified. In each procedure there is a chance to first
amend the issue through either one or two formal
meetings. If it is not solved, then you must start the
process to hire an arbitrator. For each step in the process
there are dates in place that you must comply with. Each
contract varies a week to three weeks for any given
timeframe.

15. Grievances 2/2
In both UCONN’s and UNH’s contract there is a General
Provisions section following Grievances. These mainly
include the ‘rules’ allowed to each party at any step in the
procedure. Whereas PSU’s contract has only a statement
saying that all materials from written to auditoria records
will be kept and place in the employee's online personnel
file.

16. Personnel Files
Every staff member in a University has a Personnel File,
once you are apart of the Union it is likely that you will
receive a specialized Union file as well. These files hold
information like salary, appointment letters, promotion
and tenure information, evaluation letters, grievance
history, disciplinary actions, and more miscellaneous
documents. Ones file may only be seen by HR members
and the employee, unless authorization from employee
has ben given.

17. AAUP Rights
• Each contract has a varying list of rights that fit each
University in their own ways. The one right seen
throughout is the ability to gain information from the
University that will enhance any bargaining agreements.
• Other than that, the three contract vary in multiple ways.
Below will be a link to each contracts Union Rights.
UCONN (PG18) UNH (PG 4) PSU (PG 10)

18. Deductions (Dues)
Dues are apart of every Union. They come out of one check
monthly and usually go back into the Union. In some cases
like in the University of New Hampshire’s, they go into
“scholarships for UNH students, UNH faculty development,
or the advancement of academic freedom” (usnh.edu).
While in UCONN and PSU it is not disclosed. While neither
are the amount of the dues to the general public. “The
average annual cost of union dues is $400, or about two
hours of pay per month” (anh.com). While this number is
across all Union. It sticks to a relatively small amount.

19. Salary
As in a Union, all the effects are to all members. The
same is the case for Salary. In each contract there is a
usual base salary and a yearly increase too all members
within their own specific classifications. The common
mark for increase is anywhere from a 1.5% to a 4%
increase in wages across the board. Each distinction is
different based upon your classification. Classifications
include assistant professor, full professor, instructor, etc.

20. Benefits
Benefits are also run in a similar standard sort of rate
through a Union. Although there are many options and
styles to choose from. Benefits include things like
retirement funds, medical, dental, and eye coverage,
leave of absence, disability, paternal/maternal leave,
sabbatical, tuition and tuition reimbursement, sick time,
earned time, and vacation time to name most of the types
of benefits these institutions bring to their employees.

21. Savings Clause
A savings clause is a necessity in any Union contract. It
states that if any article in any contract disagrees with the
law, then it must be purged. In many chapters they allow
a new article to be amended and ratified into the contract.
There are the stipulations of commonality, and usually a
time limit to address the addition.

22. Governance
• The idea behind Governance, Meet and Discuss, and
Shared Governance in each of the three contracts is to
have a system set in place for the University and the
Union to meet and negotiate and agree on terms for any
new terms. This article gives the right for either side to
call a shared meeting for whatever issue arises.

23. Tenure
“Promotion and tenure are among the most important
decisions a university makes and must be based on the
expectation that the candidate is an engaged and
effective teacher and mentor; is an active scholar; is
contributing to their profession; is a valued contributor to
the life of the university through service; and is
participating in their community and profession by
providing professional service” (PSU). Tenure is in place
in every University, and they all have their own process
for evaluation and selection.

24. Workload
Workload is a benefit that allows some faculty to reduce
the amount of work they must do. Workload and the
reduction may depend in pedagogy, discipline, class size,
course levels, course rotation schedule, as well as other
factors. Your reduction in workload must be approved
before granted.

25. Topics In Common
(UNH+PSU) (UCONN+PSU)
• Discipline
• Management and Faculty
Rights
• Professional Development

26. Management Faculty Rights UNH+PSU
In both the UNH and PSU contracts there is a clause that
essentially states that all the rights and responsibilities of
the USNH Board of Trustees which have not been
specifically provided for in this Agreement or limited by
law shall be retained in the sole discretion of the USNH
Board of Trustees or as delegated to the University
System and to the University, including the academic
governance structure. While everything already
discussed within the Contract is off limits.

27. Professional Development
(UNH+PSU)
While both UNH and PSU have ways to develop their
professors they do it a little differently. At UNH they offer
scholarships, promotions, and other salary increases in
order to assist the employee with furthering their
education. At PSU you are granted a fund based off what
development you are seeking, once given the assistance
in both Universities it is expected of you to work on
developing yourself.

28. Discipline (UCONN+PSU)
In UCONN’s Contract the discipline is for tenure-track
employees, and states clearly what could dismiss them
from this process or the University as a whole. While in
PSU’s Contract it states what discipline is and replaces
the discipline portion of the employee handbook given to
you once you become employed at the University. It
functions effectively as rules, and other disciplinary
measures you may need to know as an employee.

29. Final Thoughts
Each of these three Contracts are quite similar in many
ways, as Contracts for different Universities under the
AAUP, this is to be expected. And even more so for UNH
and PSU because they both fall under the USNH system.
Union Contracts are extensive documents that must
effectively communicate an extensive amount of
information. I have discussed many of the clauses and
their importance in this project and hope that it has made
the understanding of Union Contracts uncomplicated.

30. Bibliography
https://www.aaup.org/about-aaup
https://www.aaupcbc.org/
https://anh.com/the-cost-of-unions/
https://plymouthaaupdotorg.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/psu-
aaup-collective-bargaining-agreement-final-signed-7-23-18.pdf
http://www.uconnaaup.org/wp-
content/uploads/sites/5/2015/11/UCONN-AAUP-CBA-07-01-17-
06-30-17.pdf
https://www.usnh.edu/sites/default/files/hr/resources/LaborRelatio
ns/pdf/AAUPTT-Full_Executed_pdf_2016-2020.pdf