ROCHESTER (WWJ) Professors at Oakland University in Rochester have reached a deal following a two-day strike and another long night of negotiations.
The University and its branch of the American Association of University Professors, a union representing about 880 members, struck a deal around 12:30 a.m. Saturday.
Glenn McIntosh, Senior Vice President for Student Affairs and Diversity at OU, spoke live on WWJ.
"Everybody gave and took," he told our Mike Campbell. "So, we're pretty satisfied with where we landed."
A joint statement between the two parties read in part: “the faculty will undertake all feasible measures to assure that full course content and learning objectives are delivered to their students, and that all requirements for credits and program accreditations are satisfied.”
OU professors had been on strike since Thursday when classes for the 2021-2022 school year began.
The deal brought an immediate end to the work stoppage.
Saturday classes were held as scheduled.
The major sticking point in contract negotiations included healthcare contributions and faculty tuition waivers for their "dependents". In a bargaining report released by OU professors on Friday; they said the university initially proposed the "shocking reduction" of its contribution to full-time faculty healthcare from 90% to 80%.
"Salary increase offers from Oakland remain less than 2% a year, well below anything that can be considered cost of living," the bargaining report stated.
In a statement released on Friday night after 16 hours of bargaining, Oakland University said the proposed drop in contribution to full-time faculty healthcare would be offset by salary increases. They said they did not intend to get rid of tuition waivers; but that the faculty had requested it be "extended indefinitely", meaning if a student under the full-time faculty tuition waiver failed a required class, they should be allowed to take the class again at virtually no cost. The university felt, like all other employees, the full-time faculty should have to pay full tuition when their child needs to retake a course.
"University administrators want to be clear that OU's outstanding faculty are highly valued," a university statement read.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Oakland University raised tuition 4.2% this school year bringing the average cost for full-time sophomore and freshman students to just over $14,000 per year--the University claimed it was to balance its budget after dipping into its savings for pandemic-related costs.
The two-day strike brought professors to the picket line with red signs, and meant many students did not have class. Students were initially told by the university to report to class for 15 minutes to see if their professor would teach.
Meantime, despite the delay in starting classes, support for professors poured in from students and former students across social media.
"Pay the professors what they deserve," Jackie Lynn Bagatelia wrote on Facebook. "My professors I had there were amazing and I am still in contact with some of them, 10 years later."
"As an alumni who went during the 1970's work stoppage, I totally understand the faculty's need," Joyce Man wrote. "Oakland raises their tuition year after year; yet they constantly want their employees to work for less."
The terms of the contract have not been disclosed.
As for what's next...
“We resume a full plate of classes, so we expect (students) to receive a high quality education…” McIntosh told WWJ. “It’s a good time to be at Oakland University!”
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