Many students were shocked when they received an email from a Wright State official on Jan. 30 about the possibility of a faculty strike, which was brought up at a Let’s Talk forum hosted by Wright State.
David Baugham, Student Government Association president, was quick to point out that the bargaining process between WSU and their faculty has many steps, and that several steps need to be completed before a strike would be possible.
Even with the possibility of an immediate strike being minimal, students were understandably upset at the idea of a strike, and worry their education could be affected by a strike if it ever came to fruition.
Junior Henry Lee said he doesn’t think a strike would happen, but worries that graduation paths would be impacted.
“Honestly I think everything will work out,” he said. “The university wants both the faculty and students to be happy and successful, so they will more than likely figure something out. I just worry that if there was a strike, people may not get to take classes they need to graduate on time, and to a college student graduating is of most importance. For that reason, I can’t see how WSU would let a strike happen.”
Not everyone shares Lee’s optimism. Carli Hefner, a sophomore, is worried at the possibility of faculty striking mid semester.
“If they decided to strike during a semester, what would happen to classes? What would happen to people’s money? There are so many questions and problems that would arise because of this, and just the possibility of it happening makes me very worried for the future here.”
The email included section 4117 of the Ohio Revised Code, which states that “if an agreement cannot be reached, they may submit, at any time prior to 45 days before the expiration date, the issues in dispute.”
A strike is not in the imminent future, but still remains a possibility.
