This summer, the Negotiating Team (NT) faced an intractable Administration who were determined to lay off substantial numbers of the faculty no matter what other concessions were offered. As the team worked its way through a complex legal situation, the NT had to make incredibly difficult decisions. At every step, their decisions were informed by the collective bargaining agreement, the oversight of the Akron-AAUP Executive Committee, and the expert advice of our legal counsel. There were no easy decisions to make, and no options were without risk. In the end, we left the decision of whether to proceed to arbitration in the members’ hands.
The arbitrator now has initial briefs from both the Chapter and the Administration, and we have posted our brief HERE. We are waiting for an electronic copy of the Administration’s brief including a scanned copy of their exhibits, and we will post those on the same page as soon as we receive them. In two weeks, each side will file briefs replying to the other’s initial brief. Two weeks after that, on September 18th, the arbitrator will issue his binding decision.
The NT members worked ceaselessly throughout the summer and did their best to advocate strongly for the faculty. We thank all the members who sent notes of encouragement and support throughout the summer. It’s your support that kept the team going when the hours were long, and the work was taxing.
We will keep you updated as there are new developments to report.