After Late-Night Session, Still No Deal Between YSU, Union
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The faculty union and administration of Youngstown State University are still without a new contract after a late-night negotiation Tuesday.
The two sides had initially met early Tuesday afternoon, but due to an internal miscommunication by the university the day before, YSU administration sent out a proposal to the union that differed from what was presented during that session. As a result, YSU-OEA offered a new counterproposal and agreed to return to the table at 9 p.m.
“We made it very clear that should administration’s counterproposal be unacceptable, we would need the remainder of the evening and Wednesday morning to meet as a team and work on a new counterproposal,” said Steven Reale, president of the YSU chapter of the Ohio Education Association, in a statement. “Unfortunately, administration chose to come back to the evening session having made incremental moves but overall putting forth a counterproposal that still falls far too short from giving faculty the protection, equity and respect we deserve, which means negotiations and the strike will go on.”
Classes at the university resume Wednesday and YSU says they will go on as scheduled despite the strike, with full-time faculty who have chosen not to go on strike, part-time faculty and “other qualified instructors” teaching classes, YSU provost Brien Smith said in an email to students Tuesday. Unless they are told otherwise by the head of their department, students should attend classes and complete coursework as normal.
“We are very disappointed that the faculty union leadership is choosing to remain on strike while classes are in session, especially considering how few outstanding issues remain,” he wrote. “That said, we are committed to ensuring that instruction proceeds without interruption and that our students are given the opportunity to continue to pursue their academic goals.”
The union and administration will meet for another negotiation session from 1 to 4 p.m. today.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
