Faculty Association supports 'any and all job actions' including work stoppage in contract negotiations
The Central Michigan University Faculty Association voted overwhelmingly to allow its bargaining team to pursue "any and all job actions necessary," if an agreement cannot be reached on a new contract with the university's administration.
Possible job actions range from not showing up to teach to not attending meetings, returning emails and holding office hours.
"We trust our bargaining team to make the decision on if there needs to be a job action, what type of job action might that be," FA President Laura Frey said.
The FA sent the university an invitation to resume bargaining immediately after the meeting was over.
The vote, which received 97 percent support, was taken because of an unfair labor practice charge filed by the Faculty Association.
Although Frey said she has told the faculty to submit their syllabi and get classes ready, she said there is no certainty on what will happen on Aug. 22, the first day of classes.
Frey said the university has proposed removing groups such as counseling, library and athletics from the bargaining unit.
"That is changing up the 42-year history and there's no evidence-based reason for removing that faculty," Frey said.
FA also has problems with the university's plans to decrease its quality of health care, and its plans to add its own "discretionary language" to our promotion and tenure policies, Frey said.
The administration wants to increase the number of years it takes a faculty member to achieve a promotion and at the same time reduce the promotion increment back to 2006-2007 levels, Frey said.
Frey said the administration has indicated hiring a fact finder is the "most expeditious" way to solve the dispute. Frey disagrees because she said the process could take until November.
The administration and FA filed for a fact finder on July 14, but to Frey's knowledge one has not yet been assigned by the Michigan Employment Relations Commission.
Once assigned, the fact finder would serve as a non-biased decision maker after hearing arguments and data from both sides. Bargaining and fact finding can occur simultaneously.
"The comprehensive nature of the rollbacks with the current table position by administration will significantly reduce the quality of the workplace for current faculty, and students don't deserve that," Frey said.
The FA continues to push for bargain because they believe the university is flourishing financially which is what led to such a high number voting. She also said the salary and wage increase the FA is asking for is far below the average of other Mid-American Conference institutions.
The salaries of FA members engaging in a job action would still get paid regularly, unless they "do not show up at all," she said. In that case, the Michigan Education Association would provide a salary.
"I have to remain optimistic, and I am, because we have a membership that deserves a fair contract," Frey said.
There is no deadline for the agreement, as the FA's contract expired on June 30.
"It all comes down to how the bargaining team feels it's going," Frey said. "They'll bargain as long as it takes."
The FA bargaining team is comprised of seven faculty members and one MEA member.
At least 500 attendees were expected for the meeting and the room had a capacity of 600 persons, according to the hotel's front desk.
Several CMU officials released statements earlier that day confirming classes will start as scheduled on Aug. 22, despite the dispute.
For all of CM Life's coverage on the FA contract conflict, visit our landing page.
