FORT MYERS, Fla. — Just two months on the job and FGCU’s new president may be dealing with her first crisis as the union representing faculty members warns that morale among professors is at an all-time low.
Contract talks between the two sides appear stalled and students and faculty alike that the school’s newly hired president, Aysegul Timur, needs to get involved and broker a deal.
While Monday was Labor Day, the day to celebrate the labor movement and workers, faculty members on the campus of FGCU said they don’t feel much like celebrating. In fact, they say morale is low. Some say it’s the lowest they’ve seen in years.
Students like Stephanie Thomas said teachers are doing a good job of hiding it.
“I think so far they’ve been pretty good especially because it’s the first couple of weeks of school. The energy has been pretty good,” Thomas said.
Professor Jennifer Sughrue said many faculty members are having a hard time making ends meet.
“I just got a rent increase. It’s 30%. Thirty percent increase in one year,” Sughrue revealed.
Last year Professor Sughrue received a 2.5% raise after going without a raise two years prior.
She said many professors are leaving for better-paying jobs.
This year, Union President Carolynne Gischel said the union started talks by asking for an 11% raise to meet the cost-of-living expenses. The school settled at less than half that or 5%.
“In our last counter offer we would have accepted the 5% if they made it retroactive to the start of the contract August 7th,” Gischel said.
Gischel said she believes talks have been made even more difficult this year after the school hired an attorney to negotiate on their behalf.
“It has not gone well with this external chief negotiator,” Gischel said.
The union is also accusing FGCU management of retaliation against some of its union members.
“We did file a complaint and request and investigation into possible retaliation against union members,” Gischel said.
A reason some union members did not feel comfortable talking on camera but many professors reached out with telephone calls and text messages revealing their displeasure with the way FGCU was handling its contract talks.
Many students are supporting their professors and calling on the school to issue raises.
“They’re definitely underpaid. They’re shaping our education and us. And so I think if they did get a pay raise it may help them to increase their teaching and to become better,” said student Sophia Mitchell.
She and other students believe a raise could help improve declining morale.
“Of course, they deserve a raise. They’re teaching a whole generation of kids,” said student Andres Arrieta.
Most faculty members said that they want to hear from President Timur. ABC7 reached out to the president’s office for comment and the office said it would be making no comment while contract talks are ongoing.