The IFO negotiating team worked through the summer to convert new Delegate Assembly resolutions to contract language and refining language from continuing contract goals to prepare our opening proposal for the 2021-2023 contract. We met with the MinnState negotiation team in July, twice in August, and once in September. The sides have meeting dates scheduled in October, November, and December.

Interest-Based Bargaining

The two sides initially agreed to discuss issues of mutual interest using the framework of interest-based bargaining (IBB), a collaborative process where both sides agree to try to resolve specific issues. The issues discussed in IBB included clinical and special instructional situations, coaches’ compensation, and advancing the goal of the Chancellor’s Equity 2030 Initiative to close education equity gaps.

Equity and Inclusion Language Tentative Agreement

While in IBB, our team reached a substantive tentative agreement on important language to operationalize several delegate assembly resolutions to incentivize and value equity and inclusion work and to recognize identity-based labor as a part of faculty workload.

The tentative agreements provide an incentive for work directed toward equity and inclusion initiatives by requiring a priority for distribution of professional improvement funds for initiatives focused toward enhancing equity and inclusion or the elimination of the education equity gaps.

The agreement includes language in Article 22 to recognize that work intended to help close education equity gaps demonstrates evidence of achievement in each of the five criteria. Also, faculty may place emphasis on equity and inclusion work in any of the five criteria, and that equity and inclusion work may include mentoring, advising, and supporting equitable outcomes for students, staff, and faculty.

In addition, the new language provides that faculty will generally be expected to include one or more activities intended to help close the education equity gaps in at least one of the five criteria in PDPs and PDRs.

We will also be pursuing language to provide evidence of achievement of equity and inclusion goals within Appendix G, and the parties have agreed to continue in an IBB process on this topic.

Coaches Pay

Both sides also agreed to language providing competitive market-based pay for successful Division I coaches.

Next Steps

On Saturday, September 18, the parties moved into positional bargaining, and we exchanged opening proposals. We are working hard to secure a fair pay increase for our membership in the second year of the contract. The team will continue to pursue additional language changes as well.

Additional updates will be sent as the process progresses.