University of Michigan Unpaid Faculty Class Action Lawsuit

Sommers Schwartz attorneys fight for University of Michigan faculty who did not receive the full amount of their yearly salary increases.

The University of Michigan is Michigan’s flagship school, featuring globally recognized educational programs and an outstanding faculty. In recent years, however, it appears that the University of Michigan has failed to pay its faculty the full amount of the yearly raises they are promised in their contracts.

Now, attorneys at Sommers Schwartz have filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of the faculty, seeking the full and fair payment of the money owed.

If you’re a University of Michigan faculty member appointed on a University Year basis and believe your salary increases weren’t fully applied, reach out through the form below.

How Were University of Michigan Faculty Underpaid?

University of Michigan faculty in Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint are appointed on a “University Year” basis. The University year runs from September 1st to April 30th or May 31st following the academic year.

While faculty are appointed for a “University Year,” they are paid over a twelve-month fiscal year. This fiscal year begins July 1st and ends June 30th. UM’s written policy states that “…faculty members with University Year appointments will receive their salary payments allocated on a fiscal year basis (July 1 – June 30).”

According to the class action complaint, however, when UM awards salary raises, the university begins paying the raise at the beginning of the University Year – September 1st. This means the university doesn’t pay the raise for the first two months of the fiscal year.

According to the class action lawsuit, this arrangement results in University Year faculty being underpaid for two months of each year they receive a salary increase.

The University of Michigan recently announced it would correct this issue starting on July 1, 2025. However, the University has refused to pay back its faculty for underpayment in years prior to the 2025-26 fiscal year.

The class action lawsuit argues that UM has committed breach of contract and experienced unjust enrichment at the expense of its faculty and that UM owes the faculty their unjustly withheld pay raises.

How Can I Tell Whether I Was Underpaid, and By How Much?

You are likely to be a member of the class if:

• You are a University of Michigan faculty member appointed on a University Year basis,
• Your salary raises started on September 1 of each year instead of July 1st.

While faculty typically received salary increases every year, the University of Michigan did not provide salary raises to any staff members during the 2020-2021 University Year. Faculty members on the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses may all be affected by the class action lawsuit.

To determine whether you were underpaid and by how much, look at your pay stubs from the past several years. If an annual pay raise starts September 1, you may be owed compensation for UM’s failure to pay that increase in July and August of that calendar year.

The class action lawsuit notes that not all faculty members may work under identical contracts. The complaint also notes that UM’s pattern of underpayment was the same, even when contracts weren’t identical. Any faculty member who should have started receiving a raise on July 1 of a given year but didn’t receive it until September 1 is a potential member of the class and is included in the class action unless they choose to opt-out.

Attorneys at Sommers Schwartz P.C. Are Here To Help

Sommers Schwartz attorneys Matthew Turner, Jason Thompson, Kevin Stoops, and Thomas Nafziger have joined forces to file a class action lawsuit on behalf of University of Michigan faculty members. The class action alleges that faculty members received less than the full amount of their yearly salary increase – sometimes for several years.

Over time, these losses add up. For example, a UM faculty member who earned $200,000 in the 2018-2019 University Year but who was not paid their 5 percent raise until September 1 of every year has lost over $9,200 of the total salary increase promised in their contract from July 2018 to December 2024. Collectively, UM faculty may have lost millions of dollars to the University’s failure to follow the provisions of its own written policies.

The class action lawsuit may include over 6,000 University Year faculty members across UM’s campuses. If you are a member of the University of Michigan faculty appointed on a University Year basis and you suspect you didn’t receive your full salary increases, contact the team at Sommers Schwartz PC today.