June 4, 2024

OU administration, faculty union meet for first bargaining session

On June 4, members of the Oakland University bargaining team met for the first time with representatives from OU-AAUP, the faculty union, to kick off 2024 contract negotiations.

The opening session served as an opportunity for members of each team to meet each other, commit to bargain in good faith and lay out some parameters for future sessions, including how proposals are shared between the teams moving forward.

The administration agrees that as a public doctoral institution, OU has the opportunity and responsibility to impact Michigan and the world through education, research, scholarship and creative activity. It is in this cooperative spirit that the OU administration is engaging with union leaders on a new faculty contract.

As OU President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz said earlier this year, a healthy relationship between faculty and the administration is vital for the university’s long-term success, and she has full trust and confidence in both bargaining teams to negotiate in good faith and reach common ground.

The bargaining teams are set to meet again on June 13, June 19 and June 26. The parties are expected to focus on contract language issues during those sessions. The administration will regularly provide an overview of what is being discussed and progress made.