“We’ve been talking about striking all this time, but I’m hoping that the negotiations that take place (Tuesday night) would result in a tentative agreement,” said FA President Brigitte Bechtold.

However, even if the two teams come to a tentative agreement, it doesn’t mean a contract is reached.

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If the board decides to recommend the agreement, a general membership meeting would be scheduled, at which time the agreement would be explained. An additional meeting to vote on the recommendation would follow, Bechtold said.

“It’s a rather prolonged process,” she said.

If an agreement is not reached, the FA has a few options.

“Obviously, (we’re) not going to declare ‘strike tomorrow,’” Bechtold said.

Today and Thursday, all 34 department representatives will meet with the FA and return to their respective departments to get a sense of the job actions the membership feels comfortable with, she said.

“They will come back two weeks from now with their responses, and we’ll set a general membership meeting to vote to do a number of things. The first of those would be to give notice on the extension of the contract,” Bechtold said.

Faculty are operating under an extension of the previous contract. That extension has a 28-day notice clause, meaning that the FA could give 28 days notice before the ending of the current extended contract, after which the clause prohibiting a strike would no longer be applicable.

“There is nothing illegal about giving notice and working after notice has run out,” she said.

However, if the contract is not extended, faculty are not obligated to work. Bechtold said she cannot speak on behalf of the FA membership, but strikes in higher education tend to be short.

Rich Morrison, Public Relations and Marketing senior officer, said both the FA and the university believe the students are important.

“The one thing in general that the university is concerned with is the student’s academic progress. I think that is a concern of the faculty as well,” he said. “I don’t think it’s imprudent to speculate, (but) if something like that (a strike) should happen, we would gather to plan what we could to minimize the impact on students.”

The Faculty Association submitted the unfair labor practice claim to the Michigan Employment Relations Commission Oct. 2. The MERC will review the claim and determine whether or not it is valid, and then notify the university. After the university is allowed to respond, the MERC will appoint an administrative law judge if the case would go to trial.

MERC is reviewing the claim, deciding whether or not the charge is valid and whether fines should be imposed.

“That might take several months. We already have a legal firm representing us in the case ... White, Schneider, Young & Chiodini, which was arranged for us by the MEA,” Bechtold said, referring to the Michigan Education Association.

While the CMU Faculty Association has never had a strike, the association’s unfair labor practice claim against the university may make it easier.

“For a higher education unit, we are looked upon more favorable in certain circumstances, as with an unfair labor practice claim,” Bechtold said. “If the university has done something illegal, than it is understandable that the bargaining unit would strike.”

If the Faculty Association were to strike, as an affiliate of the MEA, it is privy to a strike fund that would cover salary and health benefits.

“The CMUFA is an affiliate of the Michigan Education Association, and is also affiliated with the National Education Association,” she said. “The MEA has a large strike fund that would come into play.”

Faculty members’ local dues do not go toward the strike fund, but stems from state and national dues, Bechtold said.

“There are a number of separate issues attached to health benefit issues,” Bechtold said.

Faculty health benefits come from the Michigan Education Special Services Association, which is organized through the MEA.

“They (MESSA) provide a lot of leeway for faculty who are on strike. For example, they will continue to process claims, and continue to bill the university,” Bechtold said. “In the short run, there is no real problem. It’s their decision, it’s all a matter of time.”

If a strike extends for a longer period of time, it could cause problems, she said.

In a Central Michigan Life article published Monday, CMUFA Bargaining Team Co-chairman Guy Newland said the university has misplaced priorities.

“We’ve been bargaining all summer and through the autumn, trying to get something through to administration, and they said: ‘We have money. We admit that we have money, but we have other priorities,’” he said.

Morrison said he doesn’t believe that is the case.

“It really is a complicated issue. I sit in on revenue planning meetings and ... I don’t know of a significant amount of discretionary money that is available,” he said. “I am not optimistic — I’m not talking about the outcome of bargaining — but, in terms of the financial forecast, I am not optimistic on a state level. Higher education is a pretty good chunk of the state budget.”

Today, FA members will distribute nearly 1,000 signatures of support from the campus community to the Board of Trustees Office, the President’s Office along with mailing copies of the signatures to the individual board members homes, Bechtold said.