Negotiations ‘Stalled’ on 1st Day, YSU Faculty Union Says
Updated 7:20p.m. with statement from university
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The union representing faculty at Youngstown State University says negotiations with the university over a new contract have “stalled.”
The two sides met Wednesday for the first of two sessions; the second will be held Friday.
In a statement, Mark Vopat, spokesman for the YSU chapter of the Ohio Education Association, said the university stuck to its initial proposal, which “ignores a large number of the recommendations made in the impartial fact-finder’s report.
“This is tantamount to turning back the clock, scuttling months of negotiations and returning us to the very impasse that fact finding was meant to overcome,” he continued.
On Monday, the YSU Board of Trustees voted to reject the fact-finders’ report. After Wednesday’s session, the university remained steadfast on its assertion that the union’s proposal is too costly for the university.
“The faculty union’s most recent contract proposal includes annual pay increases that would cost the university $4.2 million compounded over the three years of the contract,” YSU said in a statement. “It would be irresponsible for the administration to agree to such a proposal given the university’s financial circumstances.”
If a deal is not struck during the Friday negotiation session, the YSU-OEA will hold a vote to strike Friday and Saturday. If approved, the strike will begin Monday.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
