Hofstra’s faculty union, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) reached a tentative contract agreement with the university early Wednesday morning, just hours before the previous agreement expired and the chapter was set to demonstrate in response.
Chapter President Dennis Mazzocco, a professor for the School of Communication, said the negotiations came to a close at 2:15 a.m. Wednesday.
“The deal we have in place is very mature,” Mazzocco said. “Five-year contracts cover a lot of ground, and the landscape has changed dramatically in the past five years, and will change dramatically in the next five years.”
The completion of negotiations not only avoided the possibility of a walkout on the first day of classes on Sept. 6, but also led to the cancellation of a demonstration the AAUP planned to orchestrate in the Student Center.
The chapter was still actively planning for the demonstration up until the agreement was reached.
The AAUP has negotiated contracts with Hofstra since 1973; the newest agreement puts in place a new five-year deal, the last of which initiated on Sept. 1, 2011.
Mazzocco said key provisions of talks focused on healthcare and wage structure for full and part-time employees. “Covering all of that ground took a lot of time,” he said.
Meetings between the university and the union began in February. According to Mazzocco, representatives for both parties met 22 times before the agreement was reached.
“We are pleased that we’ve reached a mutually satisfying tentative agreement with the AAUP for a new contract,” University Relations said in a brief statement. “We look forward to welcoming our newest students to campus tomorrow, and to a successful academic year.”
Hofstra University’s chapter of the AAUP holds the largest faculty union membership at a private university, including 724 full and part-time members.
“All of Hofstra’s faculty is fortunate that their university respects collective bargaining rights,” Mazzocco said. “The university is in really good shape. This sets the stage to retain and recruit faculty.”
The 150-page agreement is set to be signed Wednesday afternoon.
Updated at 4:32 p.m. with statement from university
