Catherwood LibraryILR School

University of Maine system staff are currently working without contracts, and several workers state that they are facing financial difficulties with the wages set by the previous contracts. The previous contract expired in June, and negotiations have not been successful so far. Faculty and staff members are represented by seven different bargaining units, and currently four bargaining units are in negotiation with the University of Maine system management. These four bargaining units are: the Associated Faculties of the University of Maine System, the Universities of Maine Professional Staff Association, the Associated Clerical Office Laboratory Technical Staff of the Universities of Maine, and the University of Maine Graduate Workers Union. The University of Maine system Board of Trustees stated that higher wages for workers would increase retention rates and improve recruiting efforts, but has not proposed a large enough wage increase for a deal to be reached, and this is likely due to a decrease in public funding for the university system.