UNO and UNK Faculty Set to Receive Biggest Pay Raises in 20 Years

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) faculty will see a nearly 5% pay increase over the next two years following successful negotiations with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). The University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved the collective bargaining agreement last Friday, which grants a 4.9% raise for the 2025-26 academic year and a 4.8% increase for the 2026-27 year. This marks the largest salary boost for UNO faculty in nearly 25 years. The pay hike comes after a lengthy and challenging negotiation process, where UNO’s AAUP union uncovered that faculty salaries were below what state law requires compared to similar institutions. Despite a lack of cooperation from university officials in sharing salary data, the union’s efforts to gather and present their own information ultimately led to an agreement. Meanwhile, the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) also secured a salary increase, with faculty there set to receive a 4% raise next year, followed by a 3% increase the following year. These increases come amid broader concerns about state funding for higher education, with Gov. Jim Pillen proposing a budget cut for the university system, while the Legislature has agreed to a smaller boost. The increase in faculty salaries, which amounts to about $2.7 million for UNO, is expected to be reflected in slightly higher tuition rates for students.