When the 2011 Montana Legislature left the state university system with a $21 million funding gap, despite having enough money in state coffers to avoid any cuts, the state Board of Regents was forced to patch the funding hole by raising tuition.

MEA-MFT has worked extensively with the regents and Commissioner of Higher Education Sheila Stearns to put university and faculty salaries first. “Montana faculty salaries already are among the lowest in the nation,” said Tom Burgess, MEA-MFT’s field consultant for higher education locals.

“The regents agree that we have to do everything we can to keep our high quality faculty members here.”