UA Student Senate May Push Labor Talks

By Carol Biliczky, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

Nov. 2–Some University of Akron students are trying to pressure the administration and faculty to come to terms over labor talks.

Student Senate Chairman Kyle Bohland said the Senate will consider legislation Thursday that urges both sides to resolve the logjam that he thinks is muddying negotiations.

“This should be ended soon,” said the economics major from Fremont. “This is detrimental to the university from a public relations standpoint.”

Bohland, 19, said he’s worried that the talks are poisoning the university atmosphere, could prompt some faculty to leave and could hurt with recruitment.

The two sides began negotiating in October 2003 for what would be the American Association of University Professors’ first labor contract at UA.

The two sides turned this summer to independent dispute resolution expert Robert Stein, whose nonbinding report is due this month.

The report could serve as the faculty’s first labor contract if both sides agree to it.

“We’re hoping for the best and planning for the worst,” said Jan Yoder, a psychology professor and spokeswoman for the Akron AAUP.

“We have teams in place planning for a strike,” she said. “Clearly, there won’t be one this semester. But it doesn’t preclude one at the start of classes in 2006.”

University spokesman Paul Herold said UA was “more than willing to keep talking.”

Bohland said the legislation will almost surely pass.

“We’re the governing body for all undergraduates, 24,000 of them,” he said. “We think it will have an effect.”

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