Progress Update
July 25, 2012
The AAUP and Wayne State negotiators have been negotiating two days a week for the last few weeks. Despite media coverage highlighting a sticking point in the talks, good progress continues to be made. Approximately half of the issues in the proposed contract have been tentatively agreed upon and productive discussion has begun on several other points. As is traditional, discussion of financial issues will begin in the near future.
On June 28, the AAUP put forth an article stating that no action may be taken against a member without just cause. In response, the administration submitted an article in which it attempted to define cause. The AAUP views several of the proposed reasons for cause as an attack on tenure and sent the proposed articles to the media. The administration does not want to end tenure. It is requesting the ability to evaluate tenured faculty, and for the flexibility to take action, on the rare occasion it is necessary, in a timely manner. The current protocol for taking action is cumbersome and takes up to three years.
Bargaining sessions will continue on Friday and Tuesday of next week. We are pleased that talks are continuing to move forward.