The contract battle between Kansas University and its graduate teaching assistants continued Wednesday with KU offering to increase the pool for merit raises by 11.3 percent and to increase the minimum wage by $1,000 to $11,000 for the next academic year.

The minimum also would climb to $11,500 the next year and $12,000 in year three.

The offer represents KU’s efforts to give GTAs the pay increases they deserved after going one year without an increase, KU spokeswoman Lynn Bretz said.

“We are hopeful that this can be resolved,” Bretz said.

Katy Martin, negotiator with the Graduate Teaching Assistants’ Coalition, said the offer is less than the graduate students have been pressing for. Their latest proposal was to increase the minimum to $12,000 in the first year, $13,000 in the second and $14,000 in the third as well as enable the union to speak to GTAs at orientation sessions.

Martin said the administration has shown no interest in negotiating.

“We’re trying to make KU a fair place to work,” Martin said.

The coalition negotiators will discuss the latest administration offer with the union’s members.