Eastern Michigan University's move-in day was marked by controversy, as faculty engaged in an informational picket over stalled contract negotiations.
Key disagreements between EMU and the American Association of University Professors Union (AAUP) involve a requested salary increase and proposed changes to faculty healthcare plans.
The AAUP is asking for a 9% raise compared to EMU's offer of 2%. The union also states that EMU is reducing healthcare benefits while expecting faculty to pay a greater share of plan premiums.
EMU responded to the AAUP's claims on the university website, saying that healthcare coverage options remain the same. The university also defended their proposed changes to how healthcare premiums will be split.
The AAUP also alleges that EMU unnecessarily called campus police on faculty who were picketing. The university claims that faculty did not follow established university procedure for picketing.
Negotiations between the two parties broke down on August 17th, and mediation began on the 22nd, at the request of EMU.
The AAUP claims EMU has not bargained in good faith, saying in a press release that EMU "stormed away from the bargaining table."
EMU disputes this claim, saying that "no such histrionics" took place and that the university requested mediation "in an effort to jump-start the negotiations."
The new contract in question covers over 500 faculty, whose current contract is set to expire at midnight on August 31st.
If a compromise is not reached by then, the stakes may be higher than an informational picket..
AAUP President Mohammed El-Sayed spoke to WWJ on Friday morning, saying, "It's going to be discussed this afternoon with the executive committee... to have authorization from the members to have a work stoppage."
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