The University defended its specific positions on the ongoing library contract negotiations for the first time since the contract was extended after the two sides failed to reach an agreement.
Originally set to expire Sept. 30, the contract between the University and library union workers was extended until Oct. 14 and again until Thursday. After taking a break from bargaining Wednesday because the mediator who has been working with the two sides was unavailable, negotiators are meeting again Thursday.
"I don't believe in negotiating through the press," Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Beppie Huidekoper told The Herald Wednesday evening. "I'm just trying to set the context. The context is broader than one population in the entire community."
Two major points of contention that have surfaced during the negotiations have been salaries and employee contributions to health insurance premiums.
Karen McAninch '74, the union's business agent, told The Herald on Monday that the union was seeking a wage increase of 4 percent per year, and that the University's offer stood at 1.25 percent.
Between fiscal year 2008 and the current fiscal year, non-union staff salaries rose 7 percent on average, Huidekoper said, largely due to a salary freeze for non-union staff following fiscal year 2009. But unionized library workers saw an average salary increase of 14 percent for those three years under their contract despite the financial crisis, she said.
"On average, I think our non-union salaries are about at the market," Huidekoper said. "This group is above the market."
Huidekoper also said the union has fared better than the market average for employee contributions to health premiums.
McAninch said the union offered for the first time in Monday's negotiations to increase health contributions from the current 6 percent to 6.25 percent in the third year of the contract. According to McAninch, the University's best offer at the time was 10.5 percent the first year of the contract, 12.5 percent the year after and 14.5 percent in the final year.
According to Huidekoper, University of Rhode Island employees shoulder between 12 and 20 percent of the cost of health insurance, those at Rhode Island College pay between 13 and 15 percent and all Providence College workers pay 20 percent.
"We do believe we are being fair, we do care and we are concerned," Huidekoper said. "But nobody is as low as 6 percent in the area."
On top of that, Huidekoper said the University is predicting a budget deficit of $3 million for the current fiscal year.
"When we have one group of employees that are above market, we have to consider that," Huidekoper said. "Fairness is in the context of the market, but also in the context of the other priorities that we have."
Those other priorities include increasing undergraduate financial aid, which Huidekoper said was the fastest-growing expense for the University.
McAninch said that following unproductive negotiations Tuesday, the beginning of Thursday's negotiations will focus on the preservation of bargaining unit work, with talks involving University Librarian Harriette Hemmasi.
"We want to get some assurance from her that as work is moved around or created, the bargaining unit is kept in consideration," McAninch said. "At one time, there was more of a consideration of work as bargaining unit work."
McAninch's concern stems from the changing nature of work in the libraries as they incorporate new technologies. She hopes to see more recognition of union members' skills and the potential for those skills to be expanded to keep up with the library's needs.
Huidekoper offered little consolation to the union that lost 12 of its positions through last year's restructuring, though it had no layoffs.
"The libraries are changing, and I think we have to be sensitive to our libraries first and foremost meeting the needs of the community," she said.
If both parties can move past that hurdle, they will still have to resolve the financial questions involving pay increases and health premium contributions. McAninch said the library union's members are scheduled to meet Friday morning, on the day this second extension runs out.
