A faculty strike at Wright State University has entered its second week with no guaranteed end in sight. Although university administrators have met privately with members of the faculty union (AAUP-WSU), an agreement has not been reached at this time.
Given the start of a new semester and questions on behalf of university community members, The Guardian has compiled a comprehensive review of the events leading up to the strike on campus. Here is what we know:
Since 2016, university administration and the Board of Trustees have implemented various budget remediation measures following a financial crisis.
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The university has attempted to address a $30 million structural budget deficit caused by years of mismanagement of university funds. Uncontrolled spending also cost the university $130 million in reserves.
One of administration’s budget remediation measures involved renegotiating the terms of faculty’s three-year contracts, which expired in 2017.
“Over nearly two years, in an attempt to secure short and long-term stability, Wright State negotiators engaged in over 20 different collective bargaining sessions to try to reach a new contract with AAUP-WSU,” University President Cheryl Schrader said in a press release.
AAUP-WSU representatives say that negotiations came to a halt in March 2017 when administrators hired an attorney to negotiate on their behalf, The Guardian previously reported.
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The union rejected administration’s proposed contract terms, which included no raises, reduced health benefits, and a demand that the union give up its right to negotiate on health care, according to AAUP-WSU President Martin Kich.
Administration has said that the terms of their proposal were necessary to protect the financial standing of the university.
“The trustees’ priorities in this bargaining process have centered on short and long-term financial sustainability for the university… while also honoring the university’s excellent faculty members and their dedication and commitment to Wright State students,” Board Chairman Doug Fecher said in a press release from the university.
After failing to reach an agreement, the two parties hired a fact finder – a mutually agreed upon third party – to oversee negotiations and review unresolved issues. The fact finder issued a final report on Monday, Oct. 29. Afterward, faculty and administration released separate statements on the report.
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Administrators and the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to accept the report at a public meeting on Thursday, Nov. 1.
“The trustees felt that approving this report was in the best interest of our students and the university and it will help Wright State move forward,” President Cheryl Schrader said in a press release. “I think both parties would have preferred to have negotiated a longer settlement.”
In response, AAUP-WSU members voted to reject the report with a majority of 467 to 12, they reported in a press release.
“Our members found that the Fact Finder’s recommendations would erode the quality of education faculty provide our students, hurt the community Wright State University serves, and threaten the livelihood of our faculty — and they voted accordingly,” AAUP-WSU said.
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After the two parties voted on the fact finder’s report, University spokesman Seth Bauguess said that administration and trustees would meet to discuss their next steps.
AAUP-WSU representatives say they “repeatedly” expressed their intent to resume negotiations with administration but heard nothing in return.
Schrader said that negotiations expired once the two parties “reached impasse and exhausted all statutory processes.”
For a time, developments on contract negotiations seemed to be stalled. Then, at a public meeting on Friday, Jan. 4, administration and the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to implement the terms of the contract as they stood.
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“Trustees noted it was necessary to move the university forward beyond negotiations that have proceeded for nearly two years,” the university said in a press release. “This vote ended negotiations, set forth what the employment terms would be through June 30, 2020, and looked to change the university’s focus to regaining economic stability.”
AAUP-WSU members responded to administration by unanimously rejecting its decision to implement the terms of the contract and expressing intent to file for a strike in email issued to the campus community on Saturday, Jan. 5.
“Our members have voted to reject not only the language itself but the administration/Board’s skewed idea of negotiation, in which their proposals cannot be discussed but can, at most, be traded off against one another. That is not fair dealing in any sense of the phrase.” Rudy Fichtenbaum, chief negotiator for AAUP-WSU said.
On Monday, Jan. 7, The union issued a formal strike notice with the Ohio State Employees Relations Board (SERB) and filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge against administration and the Board on the basis that administration “failed to negotiate before imposition” of the contact terms, according to a statement from AAUP-WSU.
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Administration responded to the union’s intent to strike in a public announcement shared with the campus community.
Schrader responded to AAUP-WSU’s decision to strike “disappointing” in a public statement. “Certainly, faculty members and their union understand the massive financial challenges the university has confronted in recent years.”
At this time, AAUP-WSU members are still on strike. Faculty and administration have met twice now since the strike started last Tuesday but have not officially reached an agreement.
“Wright State is doing everything in its power to preserve the opportunity for its students to succeed. Maintaining the quality of its academic programs and meeting the needs of its students is the highest priority at Wright State,” the university said in a press release.
The Guardian will continue to provide updates as we learn more information.
