YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State University’s faculty union began striking this morning at 8 a.m.
Union members lined Wick Avenue along YSU’s campus, holding signs, smiling and encouraging passing cars to honk in support.
YSU-OEA President Steven Reale described the group as energized and excited.
“People are in such great spirits,” Reale said.
Given the COVID-19 pandemic, members are also striking virtually via Zoom.
At strike headquarters on Elm Street, recent YSU graduate Anna Murcko is helping union members make signs. Murcko wanted to show support for faculty when she heard about the strike. Her father is a teacher and played a role in his union, so she’s not a stranger to the process. Murcko said a lot of her peers agree with her and support the union.
"We just want things to be fair,” said Murcko. “They work so incredibly hard.”
The strike went on as planned today after a moderately successful negotiation session with the administration on Sunday afternoon. The union "reported some progress," but noted, "There is still work to be done before a tentative agreement can be reached."
In a release, YSU-OEA reported the administration made a counterproposal, which "made some small moves."
“The YSU-OEA will consider these moves in crafting a counterproposal, but is still concerned over how far apart the two sides remain on the eve of a strike,” said Reale.
One of the primary sticking points regarding the negotiations is a fact-finder's recommendation that faculty receive a 6 percent pay increase over three years. The university claims the recommendation does not take into account financial challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic.
In a release Sunday night, the administration fired back at union claims that YSU is projecting its financial situation to be more dire than it actually is.
YSU Vice President for Finance and Business Operations Neal McNally noted the university may not be out of the woods when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic. The university could face additional losses of more than $10 million if the pandemic were to force another shutdown.
McNally also responded to the union's assertion that the university invests in athletics at the expense of academic programming.
"Aside from our long and rich tradition of athletics, it’s important to understand that YSU student athletes generate nearly $10 million in annual revenue in the form of tuition income and state funding appropriations. Athletics, in fact, has been integral to the success of the university’s enrollment strategy," the release read.
Despite ongoing disagreement over finances, both parties agreed to meet today at 1 p.m.
Meanwhile, the administration and the union are preparing for a strike that could extend past fall break.
YSU-OEA set up strike headquarters on Youngstown's North Side Friday. Members voted overwhelmingly to strike Saturday, and the Ohio Education Association officially sanctioned the strike Sunday night. Union members are expected to picket both in person and virtually.
Classes resume on Wednesday. YSU plans to remain open and offer classes if the strike continues until Wednesday.
The administration Sunday put out a call for temporary instructors to cover courses taught by striking faculty members.
In an email obtained by Mahoning Matters, Beeghly College Dean Charles Howell explained substitute instructors will be compensated at a full-time faculty overload rate — $1,250 per credit hour prorated for the number of weeks covered.
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October 11, 2020 at 04:23AM
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YSU faculty strikes ahead of continued negotiations - Mahoning Matters
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