Western’s Board
of Trustees approved collective bargaining agreements with the
University Professionals of Illinois (UPI) faculty unit and
three other Unions and recommended a fiscal year 2005 budget
for consideration by the Illinois Board of Higher Education
(IBHE) at its Sept. 12 meeting.
A base wage increase
of 2.5 percent is included in the four-year agreement with Western’s
UPI unit representing 630 faculty and other academic employees.
Years two, three and four of the UPI contract provided for an
annual salary increase of 3.5 percent of the employee’s
previous year basic salary, with provisions for dealing with
additional or reduced state dollar funding for the University.
Language changes in the contract and further negotiations regarding
summer school, distance learning and assignment to the Quad
Cities campus were included in the UPI agreement.
Wage agreements calling for a 2.5 percent
increase during the current fiscal year were also approved
for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees Local 417, representing 155 employees; the Fraternal
Order of Police Labor Council, representing 20 employees;
and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399,
representing 33 employees.
A recommended fiscal year 2004-2005
operating budget of $101,490,300 was approved by the Board
and will be forwarded to the IBHE for consideration. The budget
asks for funds to support a salary increase of 6 percent,
increased costs for library materials and other price increases.
Included in the budget is a $2.4 million request to support
campus infrastructure, diversity initiatives, undergraduate
classroom and instructional equipment and new faculty positions.
Western’s FY04 operating budget is $94,075,100.
The Board recommended an FY05 capital
budget request of $83.2 million with the Performing Arts Center
project on the Macomb campus listed again as the top priority
at a cost of $47.2 million. The Western Quad Cities Riverfront
Campus expansion project is the University’s second
priority on the list at $10.5 million followed by other rehabilitation
and improvement projects. The Board’s recommendation
will be forwarded to the IBHE.
Bids for renovation of student apartments
at East Village were approved by the Board. The project will
combine existing single bedroom apartments into new graduate
family housing units. Successful bidders were Hein Construction,
Galesburg, general contractor $550,863; Koener Electric Inc.,
Bartonville, electrical contractor, $188,668; and Rampy Warner,
East Peoria, plumbing contractor, $164,900. The renovation
will require the apartments to be closed this fall semester.
The Board also approved
internal allocations of the FY04 operating budget, released
specific executive session minutes and approved 2004 meeting
dates on the following Fridays: March 5, June 4, Sept. 10 and
Nov. 5. The June 4 session is scheduled for the WIU-Quad Cities
campus in Moline while the other three meetings will be in the
University Union on the Macomb campus.
