YSU and faculty union disagree on fact-finding report

YOUNGSTOWN — Despite a fact-finder's report, Youngstown State University and the union representing YSU faculty don't appear to be any closer to a contract agreement.

YSU-OEA negotiating committee members met this weekend to review the decisions of Judge Betty Widgeon, who is presiding over mediation between the union and the university.

The university finds that the report lacks "any significant analysis on any level." The union finds the recommendations "fair and equitable" especially recommendations that involved preserving the union's current contract.

Rocky contract negotiations have already prompted YSU-OEA to vote to authorize a strike July 16.

The decision to authorize a strike was in part spurred by the university's academic restructuring plan announced May 28. The plan cut 18 departmental chair positions and will save the university $1 million annually.

In a document obtained by Mahoning Matters, a YSU representative said Widgeon's recommendations don't take into account the financial circumstances facing higher education.

According to the document, the fact-finder's report recommends a 6 percent pay increase over three years. Meanwhile, non-faculty unions accepted salary reductions of up to 15 percent to help the university recoup financial losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

YSU-OEA spokesperson Mark Vopat said those contracts were negotiated under faulty assumptions.

At the time, YSU was predicting a 15 percent drop in enrollment and a 20 percent drop in state funding. But, the numbers didn't bear out.

Enrollment only dropped 4 percent, and the university only experienced a drop in state funding of between 3 and 3.5 percent.

"What happens during economic downturn is [YSU sees] an increase in enrollment, because people are out of a job," said Volpat.

In making recommendations, the fact-finder used publicly available financial documents, Volpat added.

YSU-OEA meets today to discuss the report and potentially vote on it. YSU administration and Board of Trustees are expected to discuss the report at the trustees' Oct. 5 meeting.

This story was originally published September 29, 2020 at 4:11 AM with the headline "YSU and faculty union disagree on fact-finding report."