Contract talks to resume Tuesday as YSU faculty strike enters second day
YOUNGSTOWN - Administrators at Youngstown State University are considering a counter-proposal from the faculty union.
As YSU-OEA's strike began Monday morning over a contract dispute, union officials and the university continued to negotiate terms for a new three-year contract from 1 to 4 p.m. YSU-OEA union spokesperson Dr. Mark Vopat said additional productive conversations took place and both parties have moved closer to an agreement.
University officials agreed, saying that further progress was made -- including a new wage proposal and several agreements on contract language.
The latest economic proposal includes:
First year: no pay raise
Second year: 1 percent pay raise, plus a $1,000 lump sum payment to lecturers/senior lecturers, assistant professors and $750 lump sum payment to associate and full professors
Third year: 2 percent pay raise.
The university said that faculty contributions to health insurance premiums would also remain the same for the first two years, increasing from 15 percent to 18 percent in the third year. This is the same health care plan agreed to in a tentative agreement with the university's classified staff union last week. The two sides appear to have reached an agreement on intellectual property rights consistent with other state universities, the university stated.
Vopat said the pay raise is the least of the union's priority on the new contract, and that faculty is mostly concerned over intellectual rights, choice of department heads and programs, job security and healthcare among other issues.
However, money is still a part of the discussion and the union claims the university is sitting on a $7-million surplus which the administration denies.
Negotiations will resume Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. In the event that an agreement cannot be reached, the university plans to remain open and continue instruction on Wednesday. Union sources said negotiations will continue each day until a deal is reached.
On Monday, YSU-OEA members walked with picket signs after 86 percent of the union voted to go on strike since no contract agreement was reached over the weekend.
Students are on break on Oct. 12 and 13, which means no classes are impacted at this point.
In a video released Monday, university president Jim Tressel said that he hopes the university and the union are able to settle the contract dispute. He added that the university is working on a plan that will be in place for students on Wednesday when students are scheduled to return the campus.
Tressel asked that students keep updated on the latest information using the university's new web page.
Tressel told students that they've done well through the COVID-19 pandemic, and he is confident that the school will clear this "additional hurdle as well."
