WSU trustees move one step closer toward new contract with faculty union

FAIRBORN — Wright State University Board of Trustees unanimously accepted the recommendations of an independent fact-finder in its ongoing negotiations with its faculty union, the university announced Thursday night.

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The move pushes the university and Wright State chapter of the American Association of University Professors one step closer to reaching a new contract agreement after more than a year of negotiations and calls for a strike.

The fact-finder’s report, originally expected out Sept. 11, was delayed until Oct. 29.

According to a news release issued Thursday night, trustees noted that, though the recommendations did not give either party all of what they were seeking, and it did not give all of the long-term solutions they were hoping to agree on during negotiations, the report did provide some short-term relief for the university to help facilitate financial recovery.

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“The trustees felt that approving this report was in the best interest of our students and the university and it will help Wright State move forward,” Wright State University President Cheryl B. Schrader said. “I think both parties would have preferred we would have negotiated a longer settlement.”

AAUP-WSU has about two weeks to determine whether it wants to accept or reject the suggestions from the fact-finder as the new faculty contract.