Dear AU Staff Union,

Thank you for sharing your views with us. On behalf of the entire leadership team, let me assure you that we value the work you do for our American University community.

Since negotiations began in April, we have been regularly and fully briefed on the negotiations, and we are familiar with each of the union’s proposals. We know the University’s bargaining team has been working hard to respond to you on these proposals in a way that is meaningful and mutually acceptable.

We understand that additional negotiation sessions are scheduled over the next two weeks. We take this as a positive sign that both management and the union remain committed to reaching agreement on a new contract promptly.

We agree with you that all University employees are entitled to work in a healthy and safe environment, and we welcome the input of our employees and the Union. With my full support and that of the leadership team, the Management team has made several proposals designed to further support our positive workplace environment and to facilitate more robust engagement with the Union on important topics relating to health insurance benefits, reorganization of staff, and other matters that impact your employment with the University.  As we work toward reaching an agreement, we will continue to work with the Union to improve communication on these important matters.

On the issue of wage increases, we fully appreciate the Union’s rationale for base building increases, but as you are aware, the University experienced a significant budget deficit in Fiscal Year 2025. Provost Vicky Wilkins and Vice President Bronté Burleigh-Jones worked tirelessly to provide leadership for finding institutional savings, and every vice president and dean also worked with their teams to find operational savings to minimize the impact on staff to the extent possible. One of those measures was foregoing a base building wage increase in Fiscal Year 2026, as many other institutions have done in this challenging fiscal environment. We are committed to providing base building wage increases in Years 2 and 3 of the agreement, even in the face of future potential revenue shortfalls resulting from the financial pressures affecting all of higher education. 

On behalf of the entire Cabinet, we thank you for your commitment to the University during these difficult times and look forward to successfully concluding our negotiations.

Sincerely,

Jonathan R. Alger
President, American University

 

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