This email was originally sent to faculty on July 28, 2026, and is archived here for reference. For updates on the 2025–2026 GEO negotiations, please visit the GEO bargaining updates page. To receive ongoing updates, you may also subscribe to the GEO negotiations newsletter.

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

I am writing to share an update on the university’s ongoing negotiations with the Graduate Employees’ Organization.

The university and GEO have been negotiating a successor agreement since last November. The current agreement remains in effect under its evergreen provision, but its stated term ran through May 1, and the parties are now more than two months beyond that date without a successor agreement. After 18 bargaining sessions over the past eight months, more than 50 items remain unresolved and one tentative agreement has been reached. The current agreement also does not provide for salary increases in the 2026-27 academic year. Details about the proposals each party has passed can be found on the UHR website. 

The university remains committed to reaching a fair and responsible contract. Given the pace of negotiations and the number of issues still outstanding, the university has initiated a process known in labor negotiations as fact-finding.

Fact-finding is a process available in Michigan public-sector labor negotiations that helps employers and unions reach agreement when they have reached an impasse. While the parties may present contrasting positions, the process does not result in a ruling for or against either party. 

Through this process, a neutral fact-finder appointed under the Michigan Employment Relations Commission process reviews the status of negotiations, considers the positions of both parties, and may issue nonbinding findings or recommendations to help the parties continue working toward agreement. The fact-finder’s review can include relevant peer comparisons, bargaining history, financial and operational considerations, and other information bearing on the unresolved contract provisions. (The MERC Guide to Public Sector Labor Relations Law in Michigan details fact-finding on page 24.)

Fact-finding is not a decision to end bargaining; it is part of the public-sector bargaining process. This process has been used before in negotiations between the university and GEO, and is intended to provide another method to help resolve complex issues. Parties often return to negotiations or mediation after fact-finding and, in many cases, are able to resolve outstanding issues.

I know many faculty members work closely with graduate student instructors and graduate student staff and research assistants, and I understand the importance of clarity and information sharing during this period. The university will continue to bargain in good faith and will keep the campus community informed of significant developments. To stay informed as negotiations progress, members of our community are encouraged to sign up for the Labor Relations Newsletter. 

Sincerely,

Laurie K. McCauley, DDS, MS, PhD
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
William K. and Mary Anne Najjar Professor