United Faculty is calling for increased faculty wages at UNI ahead of its bargaining session with the university and Iowa Board of Regents next year. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
The University of Northern Iowa faculty union is calling for increased wages ahead of its bargaining session next year, saying the university has fallen behind its peers and no longer offers competitive pay.
United Faculty said in a news release this week that UNI is trailing its peers in faculty salaries and not keeping up with inflation, which the union says is harming both the university and those who staff its academic programs. The chief negotiating unit for UNI’s faculty represents around 500 people at the university.
“As recently as 2016, UNI faculty salaries kept up with our peer institutions,” said Fernando Calderon, UNI history associate professor and vice president of United Faculty, in the release. “Now we have fallen behind, and it is inflicting damage on UNI faculty and the institution overall.”
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UNI has 10 peer institutions, according to the university, which have similar student populations, resources and institutional goals. According to the release, the university uses Central Connecticut State University, Western Washington University and Indiana State University as comparisons for performance evaluations.
Using data from the American Association of University Professors’ 2023-24 Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession, United Faculty said in the release that when combined, UNI professor, associate professor, assistant professor and instructor salaries come in at about 87% of the peer institution average, which is just under $91,000.
Instructor salaries at UNI are most similar to the average, with more than $60,000 compared to just over $65,000. Professors see the widest gap, from almost $94,000 at UNI compared to more than $111,000 as the average.
Iowa Board of Regents Senior Communications Director Josh Lehman said in an emailed statement that UNI provides a “comprehensive benefits package,” which can act as a draw for recruiting and retaining employees.
“The Board of Regents values the members of United Faculty, as they enhance the quality of teaching, research and service at the University of Northern Iowa,” Lehman said in his email. “We will follow the collective bargaining process during this academic year.”
The American Association of University Professors places 165 universities, including UNI, under the master’s level category. These universities grant at least 50 postbaccalaureate degrees from at least three separate programs each year, according to the report, but are “not engaged in significant doctoral-level education.”
The release stated that compared to the average of all of the universities in this category, UNI’s faculty wages fall behind in all positions except instructors, where the more than $60,000 salary comes in at just above the average.
United Faculty also said in the release that faculty wages aren’t keeping up with inflation when looking at the Consumer Price Index for the Midwest. Changes in the price index have outpaced increases in faculty pay at UNI, according to the release, with a 10-year compounded shortfall of 9.89%.
The union’s 2023-2025 master agreement states that base wages be increased by 3% in the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 appointment years. With a new, two-year contract set to take effect in July 2025, the news release stated that United Faculty will bring its initial bargaining proposal to the State of Iowa, Iowa Board of Regents and UNI in January.
Christopher Martin, president of United Faculty and a professor of digital media and journalism, said in the release that providing sufficient pay that is comparable to peer institutions to UNI faculty is “critical to ensuring optimal performance and continuity for the 10,000 students at UNI.”
“We are asking the Iowa Board of Regents to provide the necessary funding for UNI faculty salaries to remain competitive with our peers, so we can recruit and retain the best faculty and keep up with inflation,” Martin said in the release. “It’s an investment in academic excellence at Iowa’s only regional comprehensive university.”
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