Up to $1.9 Million for Minnesota Community College Faculty in New Settlement

The Minnesota State College Faculty Union has finally settled with the Minnesota State College System for up to $1.9 million in back pay for faculty members who have not been paid adequately since 2010.

The Minnesota State College Faculty Union filed a lawsuit in 2010, arguing that the Minnesota System’s campuses were underpaying members of the faculty for extra work done outside of lectures, such as independent study, student labs, and internships. The Minnesota State College System and the Union engaged in settlement discussions on and off since the lawsuit was first filed. But in 2016, the Union earned a victory for faculty when an arbitrator sided with the Union regarding the System’s unfair labor practices.

However, the Union filed another lawsuit in 2017 alleging that the System was not complying with the arbitrator’s ruling. The parties finally reached a settlement regarding the 2017 lawsuit this week. The settlement admitted no wrongdoing, but it does require the Minnesota College System to reexamine faculty pay between 2016 and 2018, which will be done in front of a neutral referee by the year’s end. The settlement also puts a maximum threshold on the amount of back pay that can be awarded to faculty members. Additionally, the settlement agreement caps the neutral referee’s salary, which will be paid by the Minnesota State College System.

Both sides appear satisfied with the agreement and pleased that the matter could be settled without ongoing litigation.

Originally published at: http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-community-college-faculty-to-receive-up-to-1-9m-in-back-pay/510285262/?refresh=true