The federal mediator requested by the university and Eastern’s chapter of the University Professionals of Illinois will meet with representatives from both groups on Monday to begin aiding in negotiations.

The university is negotiating with UPI for a new three-year faculty contract including a salary raise.

UPI President David Radavich, professor of English, made the announcement to a group of faculty members at a discussion in Coleman Hall Auditorium last night.

Radavich said the mediator will be available for about three hours on Monday, and he hopes the outcome of the mediation will be positive and quick.

“I don’t know if the mediator will help, but we should know in a day or two of meetings,” Radavich said.

A chapter executive committee meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday after the first meeting, he said, to make decisions about appropriate actions for the UPI to take in negotiations.

Radavich and UPI chief negotiator Charles Delman, professor of mathematics, met with faculty members last night to solicit their ideas on appropriate actions to take.

The UPI is trying to have as many meetings around campus as possible to inform the faculty on what’s going on in negotiations and to get their input on issues, Radavich said.

The faculty union is currently negotiating a new three-year faculty contract with the administration.

The faculty union at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale also is having problems in negotiating a faculty salary increase and is bargaining for a 21 percent raise over the next three years. Delman wouldn’t disclose the amount Eastern’s UPI is bargaining for, but said it is modest compared to SIUC faculty’s request.

Faculty salaries at Eastern have improved over the last six or seven years, Radavich said, but earnings are still at the bottom when compared to other state universities. This year, he said, the university did not offer an increase.

“We feel like an offer of a zero percent increase is insulting, and it’s a setback,” Radavich said.

Faculty members at the meeting were upset with the proposal of no salary increase, and many felt overworked and underpaid.

Increased workload is another big issue for the UPI, and Radavich said this year, with more students enrolled, many faculty members are pressured to teach added classes, although forced overload is a violation of contract.

Delman said Eastern’s overload rate is the highest in the state, and quality suffers when faculty take on too many classes.

Delman also has been looking at data on an increase in administrative personnel, and he said he found the number of administrators has been going up steadily since 1995, as has the increase in administrative costs.

The budget is another concern for Delman and the UPI. He said the budget is about 3 percent larger than last year, but the administration is trying to cover that up.

Faculty members voiced concerns on how much the administration was spending on aspects such as new technology and athletics.

“There’s a lot hidden, and we’re trying to bring it out into the open,” Radavich said. “The administration likes to act as if all expenses are unavoidable, but these are institutional choices, and we can debate them.”

The UPI will meet with more faculty at noon Tuesday for a brown-bag lunch in room 3732 of Coleman Hall and at other campus venues throughout the week.