August 19, 2024

OU agrees to meet this week to try to break apparent economic deadlock

OU and the faculty union have agreed to meet Aug. 21 for another bargaining session as OU strives to reach a sustainable solution that rewards faculty but does not put the institution into significant and ongoing budget deficits.

This meeting will be held without the assistance of a state-appointed mediator, who was unable to reconvene the negotiations until Aug. 28, the date the latest contract extension expires.

As the teams look to their next session, the major sticking points remain salaries, market adjustments, lump-sum increases, and summer pay, as well as retirement and additional healthcare benefits for part-time special lecturers. It is important to note that during last week’s session, OU offered to fully withdraw its concept aimed to improve how merit pay is to be distributed by backing off the so-called “forced distribution” of merit scores.

That proposal, in which OU also significantly limited its position on teaching workloads for special instructors and included 14.25% in raises over five years for all full-time faculty, was rejected by the union. Instead, the union countered with an unsustainable proposal to increase in faculty compensation costs by nearly 32% over three years.

Despite the gap in the parties’ proposals, OU continues to remain hopeful a deal can be reached before the start of the fall semester, so the new school year can begin without the distraction of ongoing contract negotiations.