A communique from Memorial University (distributed via NEWSLINE on Sunday, Jan 29) mentioned a highlight of the current proposed deal, which has drawn some attention.
Some even accuse the university of including MUNL’s President, VP, and Dean salaries in an inflated calculation of faculty salary averages.
The offer, now “modified” through an update, provided a figure garnering frustration and confusion by many observers.
It stated the following offer:
“Increasing its salary offer to 12 per cent over four years. For example, a faculty member who is today receiving the average tenure-track salary would increase from $137,300 to $164,084 (includes applicable step increases) by September 2026. Memorial calls on faculty union to bring current offer to its members for review.”
NEWSLINE (Jan 29,2023)
Specifically, the “average tenure-track salary… [of] $137,300” had been disputed by some faculty. There were observations by faculty members that the tenure track salary is capped at $104k, making this an inaccurate figure.
As many faculty observed the average tenure track salary at $82-104k, MUNL responded to our media request for clarification:
This information was modified in the news item (https://www.mun.ca/labour-relations/news-articles/memorial-calls-on-faculty-union-to-bring-current-offer-to-its-members-for-review.php) that followed the Newsline. Here is the additional info to help clarify:
Marketing and Communications, Memorial University of Newfoundland, January 31st
- Increasing its salary offer to 12 per cent over four years. For example, a faculty member who is today receiving the average tenure-track/tenured salary (assistant, associate and full) would increase from $137,300 to $164,084 (includes applicable step increases) by September 2026, based on current salary data.
The text has now changed to include the tenure-track (TT) faculty members and the higher-paid staff in the assistant/associate/full pay bracket. This is an important distinction for many faculty members and those paying close attention to the negotiations.
Although many NEWSLINE recipients have viewed the original figure, some fear that the damage has already been done- amid worries that it has depicted the average faculty member as a greedily unsatisfied $137,300+ recipient currently striking. This is far from the truth- as collegial governance gradually becomes a key focus in the strike.
Once the update was noted, many began to speculate how the number was calculated. In particular, Dr. Williams Jan 30th Tweet pointed out the update from MUN and started a discussion thread:
Some hypothesized that the number could only be calculated by including the administration’s senior leadership (namely, President Timmons, VPs, and Deans- who are technically listed as professors):
MUNL’s update was shared with The Muse just over a half hour before MUNL issued an invitation from senior leadership to employees regarding a town hall event occurring tomorrow at 1:00 pm:
The senior leadership team is holding a town hall on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 1 p.m.
The purpose of this event is to share information with, and answer questions from, employees whose work is continuing during the strike.
President Vianne Timmons will be joined by Tana Allen, acting vice-president (research); Catharyn Andersen, vice-president (Indigenous); Neil Bose, interim provost and vice-president (academic); Paul Brett, acting vice-president (Marine Institute); Lisa Browne, vice-president (advancement and external relations); Rob Philpott vice-president (administration and finance); Ian Sutherland, vice-president (Grenfell Campus) pro tempore.
Employees who would like to attend should visit this link to enrol in the course called Employee Town Hall.
The link, which requires your MUN login, will automatically enrol you and take you to the course within Brightspace. This can be done at any time between now and the start of the event.
On Wednesday, Feb. 1, return to Brightspace prior to the 1 p.m. start time to join the event.
There will be two options for joining the town hall: a WebEx link that will allow you to ask questions and join the conversation, or a view-only YouTube link for those who wish to watch the event but not actively participate.
Questions or comments for any panelist can be submitted in advance to president@mun.ca with the subject line “employee town hall,” or live during the event using the WebEx question and answer feature.
Please note the WebEx event is limited to 1,000 participants. If that number is reached, all additional attendees will be directed to the YouTube view-only stream.
MUNL NEWSLINE, January 31st 4:12 PM
It is uncertain what questions will be addressed at the town hall. However, attendance is limited to employees (as it is the event’s focus), and students are explicitly not invited.