Faculty Association to perform full work stoppage, university to file injunction

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Central Michigan University will take the Faculty Association to court Monday to challenge its decision to perform a full work stoppage.

Under Michigan law, it is illegal for public employees to strike over economic issues, and CMU employees are considered public employees, said Director of Public Relations Steve Smith.

However, the FA said the work stoppage is legal because it is in protest of unfair labor practices, and it is a protected activity.

As a result of the full work stoppage, the FA is withholding all services, including teaching classes, responding to emails, holding office hours, attending meetings and advising.

CMU’s 439 fixed-term faculty and 591 graduate assistants will still hold classes as scheduled.

The Student Government Association and university public relations are advising students to report to all classes, since a formal notification of cancelation will not be issued.

The FA has several issues with the university’s proposals as of July 14. These include the FA losing their MESSA health coverage, accepting a pay freeze for this academic year, and removing athletics, counseling and library groups from the bargaining unit.

Both sides said progress was made on non-economic issues during Saturday’s meeting, but major economic differences remained.

The university sent an email to students and staff at approximately 11 p.m. Sunday, advising them to report to class.

The FA has full support from the Michigan Education Association, which will pay faculty members the majority of their regular salary from the association’s crisis assistance fund, former FA President Tim Connors said.

FA President Laura Frey made the announcement about 8:30 p.m. Sunday after the FA’s closed meeting at Mount Pleasant High School, 1155 S. Elizabeth St. The decision was made after more than 20 bargaining sessions with the university, beginning in April, failed to result in an agreement. Several of these meetings were mediated by the state.

Frey said the FA will stay out of the classroom “as long as we need to.”

She also said the FA is willing to take a risk to stand up for student rights, and said it is serving as a role model for students to stand up for what they believe in.

More than 100 students and community members marched from Warriner Hall to the high school in support of the FA.

Connors said he could hear the marchers chanting from inside the auditorium and came out to greet them.

“You have no idea about the goosebumps that gave me to know that you were here to show your support,” Connors said.

FA members and supporters will hold a sit-in at Warriner Mall at 7 a.m. Monday to greet University President George Ross as he arrives.

SGA President Vincent Cavataio said his concern lies with the 30,000 CMU students. He said he will wait to receive feedback from students before forming a resolution.

“I am supporting what’s in the students’ best interest,” he said.

The resolution will not come until Aug. 29, when the SGA house and senate meet, although he personally supports the faculty.

“I urge administration and the FA to work amongst themselves to immediately solve this issue,” Cavataio said in a press release. “As students, this is not a burden that we should be carrying.”

Waterford graduate assistant Michelle Campbell said if a student’s teacher does not show up after 15 minutes, he or she should go out and support the faculty in a campus sit-in at Warriner Hall.

“I don’t want my fellow students to just sit at home and do nothing,” Campbell said.

Once students understand what is going on, there will be very few who do not support the faculty, Campbell said.

Campbell said she supports anything the FA does because they are doing all this for students. They could quit and go elsewhere, she said.

Bloomfield Hills senior Scott Cooke and Kalamazoo senior Abby Howe, both Calkins resident assistants, said they attended the rally to find out what to tell their residents. Cooke said residents and RAs will have to find something positive to do to occupy time.

“We just want to be able to inform our residents on what to expect over the next few weeks,” he said.

Waterford sophomore Tom Jackson carried an “I (heart) my faculty” sign and said the Arab Spring uprising inspired him to get involved with the rally.

“When people rise up against oppression, they can have revolutions,” Jackson said. “If people only realize how much power they have, they have the power to change any aspect of society.”

The FA opened a crisis headquarters located in the Campus Court strip mall at 1622 Suite C on S. Mission. The space is funded by the FA and the MEA.

“The purpose is as a place for the faculty to meet away from campus,” Connors said. “We’ll gather for discussions and prepare for what kind of action we take next.”