Oakland University professors vote to authorize strike if agreement is not met, classes scheduled to start Wednesday

ROCHESTER (WWJ) Time is running out for Oakland University to finalize a financial agreement with the union that represents its professors.

In a statement; the representing union, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) said 300 faculty members “resoundingly” voted on Sunday to authorize a strike unless the University increased its offer by the time classes start on Wednesday.

This came after Oakland University, located in Rochester at Adams and Walton, and the union met for negotiations on Sunday for "several hours" without reaching an agreement.

“Faculty working conditions are student learning conditions,” Union Vice President Caitlin Demsky said in the statement. “Our faculty want to be in the classroom at the start of the semester, but we feel we can only perform our jobs if an agreement is reached.”

While most contract issues have been resolved, salary increases for full-time and part-time faculty remain a “central sticking point,” the union said.

According to the union, Oakland University professors make about 25% less on average than their counterparts nationwide.

The union is also fighting for retirement contributions. According to the AAUP, more than half of Michigan’s fifteen public universities offer some sort of retirement benefits for their part-time faculty while OU offers none. The new contract proposes a 4% match for OU’s less than 200 part-time faculty.

The University called the union’s proposal for an economic package with a total increase of 30% over five years, “neither feasible nor sustainable”— while the union said they believe "it’s fair.”

“The faculty union rejected the University’s economic package of a total increase of 21% over five years, which includes an increase of 16% to base salaries over five years plus an additional 1% in one-time bonus payments,” the University countered in their statement.

The University has tentatively agreed to increases to faculty travel, research funds and raises for faculty promotions; as well as “unconditionally (withdrawing) all proposals on faculty workload,” they said.

The negotiations have been ongoing since June.

Bargaining is slated to continue on Tuesday with the help of a state-appointed mediator. Both parties say they’re striving to have an agreement by the time classes start on Wednesday.

Keep up with the AAUP-OU’s Bargaining Diaries here.

Keep up with the University’s 2024 Faculty Negotiations here.