The Central Michigan University Faculty Association held a strike on the first day of classes last August. The union said the CMU administration was not bargaining on their new contract in good faith.
A judge ordered the striking faculty members back to work and a state appointed fact finder heard both sides of the grievances in early September.
Now that fact finder, Barry Goldman, has let issued a report siding with the CMU administration on salary and benefit issues, according to Lindsay Knake of the Saginaw News.
More from the Saginaw News:
With salary adjustments, Goldman acknowledged in the report CMU has $228 million in unrestricted net assets, but said the university cannot be as generous with the funds as it appears. “The CMU proposal of a zero increase in the first year and modest increases in subsequent years is not an unreasonable offer, all things considered. Circumstances are bad and getting worse. It would be extremely unwise for CMU to eat its seed corn,” Goldman’s statement said. The administration’s offer includes a wage freeze for one year with increases equal to 4 percentage points over three years.
Golman also said the faculty should accept the health care plan being offered by the administration. His findings are non-binding, according to the Saginaw News.
