Some Wright State University faculty members are speaking out about what they’re calling a “lack of progress” in ongoing contract talks with the university. The negotiations have already lasted nearly a year.
The Wright State faculty union late last year amended its bylaws to allow a strike vote if necessary.
Union spokesperson Noeleen McIlvenna says, during negotiation sessions, the university has not been specific about what issues are on the table.
Wright State is in the midst of a financial crisis that has already resulted in major budget cuts and layoffs.
Some faculty members say they’re afraid further cuts may affect the quality of education at the university.
“There’s a point where we must stand up for the central mission of the university, the education, the research,” McIlvenna says, “because we can see the long-term effects of all this, and that’s why the faculty is fired up at the minute.”
A university spokesperson declined to comment on the status of ongoing talks.
Several meetings between the American Association of University Professors union and the Wright State administration are scheduled for this month.
