At times, communication occurs too quickly and informally. The result may be inaccurate assumptions which ultimately become myths. Here is our attempt to dispel some commonly-held myths concerning labor negotiations and salaries and replace them with factual information.

Myths:

All non-academic staff at The University of Montana are members of the Montana Public Employees Association (MPEA) union.

All campuses of The University of Montana and the Montana University System have the same unions.

If a bargaining unit covers staff members at various campuses, the job titles included in the union are exactly the same at all of those campuses.

University administrators decide who is in and who is out of each union.

Any employee of the University may join a union.

If I am currently a member of a union, I can decide I no longer want to be affiliated with the union and I can request to become non-union.

If employees are not members of a union, then they must be management.

State law must be changed to allow for union and non-union staff members to be paid in a manner which deviates from the State Classification and Pay Plan.

Non-union staff members are entitled to receive the same pay raises as those granted to administrators.

The recently-discussed "broadbanding" and "competency-based" pay methodologies will be mandated by the State of Montana Department of Administration for all University staff employees.

The President of The University of Montana has the authority to negotiate collective bargaining agreements with those UM employees represented by unions.

UM administration is not involved in negotiations with staff unions.

The State of Montana Labor Relations Bureau (on behalf of the Governor's Office) negotiates with MPEA for staff of the Montana University System
.

The Montana University System should be allowed to actively participate in negotiations between MPEA and the State of Montana.

The Legislature appropriates funding to the University System for the entire cost of the State Pay Plan.

University System employees will automatically receive better insurance benefits by joining with the State of Montana insurance program.