University of Kansas Faculty Reach Tentative First Contract Agreement

University of Kansas Faculty and Staff Reach Historic Contract Agreement

LAWRENCE, Kan.—Faculty and academic staff at the University of Kansas have successfully negotiated a tentative first contract agreement, marking a significant milestone in enhancing employment conditions at the university. This agreement, brokered by United Academics of the University of Kansas (UAKU) and KU management, addresses key issues such as due process, job security, academic freedom, and compensation.

Marsha McCartney, UAKU’s co-lead negotiator and a psychology associate teaching professor, emphasized the collective effort: “Every step of the way we have seen the power of collective action, united across rank, position and title, in order to strengthen our institution and deliver the best possible education for our students.”

The agreement is celebrated by AFT-Kansas President Katie Warren, who remarked on its broader implications: “Faculty and academic staff have won a landmark agreement that will create ripples across our state. AFT-Kansas welcomes over 1,600 faculty and academic staff as we organize and fight for our collective labor rights.”

Despite challenges from the KU administration, including alleged union-busting tactics, UAKU has garnered support from a wide coalition comprising faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni, elected officials, and community members. This coalition's efforts have resulted in a contract securing enforceable rights for faculty and staff.

AFT President Randi Weingarten praised the achievement: “Professors, researchers, lecturers and scientists at the University of Kansas work tirelessly to teach young people and do the research that unlocks our future; what they asked for in return was to be treated with dignity and respect. That is what a fair contract is all about. This agreement isn’t just about enshrining the freedom to teach and to learn, it guarantees pathways to promotions and secures significant, and long overdue, wage increases. It shows, once again, that together we can achieve a better life for our educators, our young people and our communities more than we ever could alone.”

President of the American Association of University Professors, Todd Wolfson, also applauded the agreement: “After nearly six years of organizing, faculty at the University of Kansas have achieved a tremendous hard-won victory with this agreement, including ironclad protections for academic freedom and shared governance and a 13 percent median raise for those at the bottom of the pay scale. This is a member-driven landmark achievement that will have an enormous impact in Kansas. This would not be possible without the courage of our members, who dug in and fought so hard because they knew that a fair contract was possible.”

The tentative agreement, once ratified, will introduce a minimum salary structure providing a 13 percent median raise for lower-paid workers, alongside a financial pool to address salary compression and reward performance. It also aims to improve job security for nontenured faculty, introduce promotional pathways for lecturers, and protect tenure and promotion processes. Furthermore, it establishes protections for academic freedom and shared governance, ensuring faculty participation in decisions affecting their work environment at the University of Kansas.

UAKU is affiliated with the national organizations AFT and the American Association of University Professors, which together represent 1.8 million members.

The AFT

The AFT represents 1.8 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state, and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.