Inside AFT: Michigan lecturers win tentative agreement

The Lecturers’ Employee Organization at the University of Michigan reached a tentative agreement June 22 that would raise their pay from currently untenable salaries, increase their retirement income, and improve healthcare access and job security. By the end of the third year of the proposed agreement, the minimum starting salary will increase by $12,700 to $16,500, depending on the campus. The agreement follows a long battle with administrators who argued that the school did not have enough money to pay lecturers fairly; students, alumni and the community rallied to prove otherwise. It also indicates a big win for recognition, as the university inches closer to living up to the campaign hashtag, #RespectTheLecs. A vote on the agreement is scheduled for July.