ANN ARBOR—The University of Michigan and the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO), which represents about 1,700 graduate student instructors, reached a labor agreement today (March 13) after a two-hour bargaining session.

The agreement culminates nearly five months of bargaining and averts a strike, which had been threatened by the GEO to begin on March 15.

The bargaining teams had come very close to an agreement late on March 12 after a six-hour bargaining session. U-M Provost Nancy Cantor invited the teams to get back together this afternoon, and a signed agreement resulted shortly after 5 p.m.

Primary provisions of the new, three-year contract include:

A salary increase of 10.5 percent over three years, or the average salary increase of faculty in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, whichever is higher. Salary increases of at least 4.5, 3.5 and 2.5 percent, respectively, are guaranteed in the coming three years of the contract.

Reclassifying about 500 GSIs currently appointed at 40-percent time to 50 percent, resulting in a 25-percent wage increase for those instructors.

The agreement also reduces the required work hours for 50-percent instructors from a range of 20-25 hours per week to 16.5-22 hours, affecting an additional 500 GSIs.

Providing an additional 1 percent tuition waiver for instructors appointed at 20 percent or less.

Reaffirming a commitment to provide room, board and a $200 stipend for international graduate students participating in a three-week summer English Language Institute workshop required before receiving a teaching appointment.

In addition, those instructors not in need of on-campus housing would receive in the contract but outside the collective bargaining agreement.

The union will present the agreement to its members in a meeting Sunday night (March 14), and will follow up with a mailed ratification ballot. Union leadership said it expected members to approve the new contract. All classes Monday (March 15) are expected to be meeting normally as scheduled.