Eastern Michigan University part-time lecturers have not yet been paid for their work this semester. EMU’s unilateral decision to delay paying PTLs until September 30 has left many struggling to pay mortgages, rent, and buy food. In addition to the delay, at the end of the month these lecturers will receive only 14% of their pay (as opposed to 25% for the same period last year). These struggles will continue every semester that the new pay schedule is in place. We call on President Martin to pay all lecturers on time.

In the summer of 2014 EMU began a new pay schedule for part-time lecturers across campus. Prior to PTLs having a union contract (ratified in 2011), hundreds of lecturers were paid late every semester; in some cases, checks did not come until 6-8 weeks after the beginning of the semester. Members of EMUFT, the lecturers union, spoke at a Board of Regents meeting in 2011 about the late pay issue and EMU president Susan Martin publicly apologized. After a couple of years under the new union contract, the numbers of PTLs being paid late were reduced greatly as were delays in getting checks to those who weren’t paid on the first pay date. In 2013 EMU began to suggest changing the pay schedule, delaying the first paycheck until the end of the first month of work. At membership meetings, EMUFT members unanimously and adamantly rejected EMU’s pay proposal and EMUFT president Sonya Alvarado communicated this to EMU. EMUFT refused to negotiate with EMU over the new pay schedule, giving up the legal right to contest the change. Regardless, EMUFT members remain vehemently opposed to the pay change.