Yale Increases Wage and Pension Offer in Effort to Spur Settlement

In an effort to end the stalemate in negotiations with its unions and reach new contract agreements before the beginning of the new academic year, Yale today made new proposals to increase wages and pensions, and offered a $1,500 signing bonus for all employees who were working at Yale when contract negotiations began.

“Yale proposed significant wage and pension benefit increases to all members of Locals 34 and 35,” said Helaine Klasky, Yale’s director of public affairs. “We have improved our already generous offer in the hopes that this will be the foundation for a settlement. We hope the unions will bargain with us until an agreement is reached.”

Under Yale’s offer, clerical and technical workers in Local 34 would immediately receive an average raise of 14.3%. The average raise, based on annual increases, would total 44.1% by January 2007.

For service and maintenance workers in Local 35, the immediate average raise would be 9.3%. The average raise would total 23% by January 2007.

The wage increases for both unions are significantly larger than the inflation forecast for the contract period.

Yale also proposed additional changes in its pension formula that, when combined with the generous salary increases, would immediately increase pensions by 23% to 31%, depending on an employee’s salary. The higher percentage increases would go to employees with lower salaries.

The $1,500 signing bonus would be paid immediately to employees who have been working at Yale since January 31, 2002 (Yale’s last contract with the unions expired that month). Yale employees hired since that date would receive a bonus of $500.

In addition to the wage and pension increases and a signing bonus, Yale’s contract offer would cover the full cost of health care for all employees and their families under the Yale Health Plan. Employees also would continue to be eligible for the $25,000 Yale Homebuyer Program benefit, and generous college scholarships for their children, among other benefits.