Hours before the start of the Fall semester, the Oakland University American Association of University Professors (OU AAUP) and the Oakland University Bargaining Team reached a tentative agreement to avoid a strike.
Fall classes will begin as scheduled on Sept. 4 at 7:30 a.m.
“Classes will proceed as scheduled on Sept. 4, while the full details of the agreement are presented to the union membership for a ratification vote,” the union said in a press release shared with The Oakland Post.
“All classes, extracurricular activities and other campus activities are expected to take place as scheduled starting on Wednesday,” The Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost said in an email to OU students.
OU AAUP members still need to vote in favor and ratify the tentative agreement in the next weeks to officially sign the 2024-2029 faculty contract.
After a final bargaining session, in the presence of the state-appointed mediator, the union and the administration teams accepted a 5-year economic proposal with yearly salary increases between 3% to 4%.
The union clarified that the administration team refused to consider proposals on retirement contributions for part-time faculty. A universal workload policy and the fixed distribution of merit raises were also rejected in the agreement.
“Faculty working conditions are student learning conditions,” said OU AAUP President Mike Latcha. “I’m glad the university and the bargaining team were able to come to an agreement so that I can get back in the classroom to deliver the excellent education Oakland students deserve.”
Official details from OU Official Communications and OU AAUP will follow in the upcoming days.
For more information, visit the OU administration updates and OU AAUP bargaining diary.
Michael Abbott • Sep 10, 2024 at 11:32 AM
Imagine earning your doctoral degree only to be treated like certified schoolteachers… unfair.
Exulted faculty • Sep 3, 2024 at 11:04 PM
This “agreement to avoid strike,” given that the strike was authorized by 95% of those who cast votes and 83% of voting members, demonstrates the administration’s shamelessness (surprise!) and the union’s spinelessness. That’s beyond appalling. Market adjustment allocation of $500,000 in years 2 and 3 for the entire faculty, when Madame Pescovitz makes over $500,000 per year in base salary, is a “historic win,” not to mention a lump sum of $1,500 in year 1 (cf. Madame Pescovitz’s $40,000 bonus in 2023).