By Kevin Fitzsimons

Freshman Katherine Martin, left, and two other Ohio State students prepare for dinner in the Buckeye Express at Morrill Tower. In addition to crediting BUCK ID accounts to give students more options for meals when services were reduced during the strike, the University maintained operations at Buckeye Express dining commons locations.

OSU seeks to restore services during strike

Ohio State entered a new chapter in its history this month, facing its first union strike in more than 30 years as well as the ensuing challenges of serving students and continuing the business of the University.

At the start of week two of the strike, the University was committed to restoring student services and educational instruction to pre-strike levels and, because the union rejected the tentative agreement its leadership had reached with the University, called on the union to initiate the next round of talks. As of press time May 9, new talks were expected to resume.

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 4501, representing approximately 1,900 custodians, food service workers, bus drivers, mail clerks, groundskeepers, skilled tradesmen and construction workers, stopped work on May 1 after more than a month of negotiations with University representatives failed to result in a new three-year contract for the bargaining unit. The previous contract expired March 31.

Though a tentative agreement was reached in a marathon negotiating session mid-week, the union membership on May 5 voted 845 to 330 against the proposal (see University's offer, this page).

"We believe the University has made a fair and equitable offer, including substantial wage increases, and we're very disappointed that the bargaining unit members have rejected the contract,"President Kirwan said.

As the second week of the strike began, Gary Josephson, president of the CWA local, said unresolved issues involved the different raise packages offered to Medical Center workers vs. University workers. Because of the University's use of differing market comparisons to determine salaries for categories of workers, Medical Center employees represented by the union have been offered a slightly smaller base pay package over the life of the contract (see offer). Kirwan said Ohio State's Medical Center employee wages are relatively high when compared with central Ohio hospital salaries. The offer of increased wages for those working second and third shift also brings Medical Center raises in line with the rest of the University.

Josephson said, "It's unfair for people who do the same work and have the same titles to be paid less because of their work location."The union also disagrees with continuing the established practice of Medical Center raises occurring on employee anniversary dates.

In addition, Josephson cited the union's desire to substantially raise salaries. "One year of catch-up is not a sufficient amount to project a trend that we will receive a just wage over time,"he said, citing the $1 raise offered by the University in the first year of the three-year contract for non-Medical Center employees.

Many on campus acknowledged that the crisis brought out the best among many administrative staffers and student employees who filled in on cleaning and other duties as best they could in residence halls and other buildings. Several units reported volunteers in their ranks. And throughout the strike, dozens of union members reported to their jobs despite the work stoppage.

"It's inspirational to see how people have pitched in to do extra work," Kirwan said.

Union members found support among some students, faculty and staff across campus. Some classes were held outside academic buildings as instructors sought to show support by not crossing picket lines. About 25 student protesters and some 20 CWA members attended the Board of Trustees meeting May 5, eventually breaking into chants of "No Justice, No Peace." Trustees opened the floor for remarks from Nancy D. Campbell, assistant professor of women's studies, who sought administrative support for the workers' demands.

Kirwan characterized the strike as the most distressing and troubling experience of his 23 years in higher education administration.

"I want to express my deep regret for the turmoil, dislocation and inconvenience experienced by everybody in the University community," he told University Senate on May 6.

Kirwan spent nearly an hour at Senate outlining four points related to the strike: He explained the principles on which compensation guidelines were approached, rejected implications of racism behind the dispute, said that he expected classroom responsibilities would be carried out by instructors at all levels despite their feelings about the strike, announced that several areas of student services were to be restored with temporary -- not replacement -- workers beginning May 8, and said that he felt it was up to the union to take the next step in the negotiating process.

Kirwan emphasized that the approach to compensation for the categories of workers represented by the CWA matched that of all compensation considerations -- through market comparisons with benchmark institutions and employers. For the CWA job categories, the benchmarks are the workplace in central Ohio and other public Ohio institutions.

He acknowledged that during the course of previous contract terms, CWA salaries "had fallen significantly below market, and we are determined to correct that." The University entered negotiations with the intent to bring salaries up to competitive levels. And he noted that while the University shares responsibility for the wage discrepancies with the market, the union also agreed to the salaries set at that time.

"The only way the University can operate is to pay people fairly, and the test of that is what the market pays,"he said, noting that the financial sources for compensation are limited to tuition and fees and the state subsidy -- and Ohio's support for higher education is among the lowest nationally. "We must strive to be market competitive, to provide a fair and equitable offer within the context of sound fiscal and management policies, and that's what we're doing."

That is the case no matter what category of workers is being considered, Kirwan said, noting that implications of racism on the University's part in negotiating with the CWA "are one of the most painful and disturbing aspects of all of this."

Kirwan said the fact that a high percentage of the CWA membership -- which holds some of the lower-paying positions at Ohio State -- is African American reflects historic and continuing discrimination in society. As he acknowledged that fact, he asserted, "I reject the suggestion that our approach to this contract on the table has racist overtones."

"These allegations reinforce the fact that there is a lot of work to do at the University. There is racial tension here. Race continues to be one of the most -- if not the most -- divisive issues in our society," he said. "We're not a place, in my view, where things are worse than the larger society, but we're certainly not immune to what happens in the world outside the University."

He added the Diversity Action Plan, currently undergoing revisions, will serve as a mandate for improvements. "We're going to take actions based on the recommendations. I give you my word on that, and I want to be held accountable for our response to the Diversity Plan."

Kirwan said faculty and graduate students also are to be held accountable during the strike for upholding and carrying out their instructional responsibilities.

"However you may feel about the strike, there is one group that is totally innocent -- and that is our students,"he said. "I urge all of you É to set aside differences when it comes to taking care of our students. I call upon you to do all you can to ensure that the instructional mission is carried out in an appropriate manner."

That goes for feeding and providing bus service and a clean and safe living environment for students, as well, he noted. The University was preparing to restore as many services to students as possible in the second week of the strike, hiring temporary workers as needed. "These will not be replacement workers," Kirwan emphasized.

As of May 8, Josephson said the union was likely to introduce a proposal seeking additional money over the life of the contract. "We are also adamant that the hospitals should not be left behind,"he said.

Josephson noted that Ohio State is not the only institution experiencing concerns over labor issues, citing news reports that Harvard University recently released a report with plans to expand health-care and educational benefits to its lowest-paid employees.

Josephson said the CWA "has won public support on this. The issue of the University's investment in human capital, and not just bricks and mortar, can't be ignored anymore. And I don't mean just for us, but for other University employeesÉ. Our members like working here, but we feel the University has to address these issues."

Kirwan welcomed a resolution to the dispute. "We want the CWA workers back here as quickly as possible,"he said. "CWA has a home at this University."

Highlights of University Offer to CWA

WAGE PACKAGE

• The wage package was determined by comparing CWA wages to wages paid to comparable workers in comparable positions in central Ohio and in the state's other public universities.

• A total increase of $2/hour for all bargaining unit members during the term of the agreement; $1/hour base pay increases effective June 18, 2000; additional $.50/hour increases in June 200l and June 2002.

• The offer to the Medical Center staff is comparable in the overall percent increase during the life of the agreement. Base wage increases are slightly lower, but shift differentials would begin in June 2000 to make up the difference.

• The average worker's annual pay will rise by $4,100 over the course of the contract. As a result, the average salary for all workers will move from $21,900 to $26,000. The average annual wages for many custodial and food service employees will increase from about $18,000 to approximately $22,000.

• Shift differential pay for all non-Medical Center staff, beginning June 2002, of $.30/hour for time worked between 3 p.m. and 8 a.m. Time worked must include a minimum of four hours during that period.

• Higher-performing employees will receive up to an additional $.15/hour in base pay effective June 2002, provided that the CWA and the University agree on objective and fair criteria.

• The exclusion of sick leave from the accumulation of hours to be eligible for overtime.

• The implementation of maximum wage rates for each classification in the third year of the agreement; for individuals at or above maximum, 1/3 of the established pay increase would be in base pay and 2/3 in immediate cash payment. Given that this does not begin until the third year, and given that the cash payments do count for retirement calculation, no one will receive any lower income or any reduction in retirement calculation for the life of this agreement.

OTHER BENEFITS

• A new pilot apprenticeship program for non-Medical Center skilled trades and maintenance staff to take the opportunity to upgrade their skills (Medical Center skilled trades staff already have such an arrangement). Staff who successfully participate in this program are eligible for additional pay increases.

• The addition of the use of skilled trades job titles previously used only by the Medical Center, which would allow opportunities for upgrade and promotion of qualified University staff.

• An agreement to review job classifications for the purpose of developing skills assessment and learning components, with CWA to play a major role in selecting classifications for review.

• Guarantees for the life of the agreement that the University will maintain its share of benefits costs at 85 percent of premiums for the University base plan, with bargaining unit members paying no more than the 15 percent they currently pay.

• The ability for the University to hire in experienced staff at rates higher than the minimum. This provision would allow for enhanced recruitment of staff with previous experience, which would benefit all operations. The contract also continues to allow the University to provide pay adjustments to resolve inequity situations.

Faculty/staff salary pool increases 4 percent

The Ohio State Board of Trustees on May 5 approved a 4 percent budget increase to the salary pool for faculty, staff and student employees for fiscal year 2001, effective July 1. The University Hospitals and employees under collective bargaining contracts have separate salary increase packages.

"The 4 percent increase will allow Ohio State to stay competitive with the institutions we use as benchmarks, but the package will not allow us to move forward as ambitiously as we had hoped. In addition to the University funded salary increases, colleges and vice presidential areas will be permitted to use their own funds to provide up to one-half percent in additional salary increases," said Executive Vice President and Provost Edward J. Ray.

Projections for the coming year, from competitive employers, show average salary increases of 4 percent, Ray said.

Ohio State ranks seventh in faculty salaries out of 10 major public comprehensive teaching and research universities used for benchmarking. The average faculty salary at Ohio State is 2.5 percent below the benchmark average.

"The competitive status of OSU salaries has eroded three years in a row. Reversing this decline is essential to the achievement of our academic goals," Ray said.

The competitiveness of staff salaries is dependent upon occupational category. Managers and administrators are 3.6 percent above market, professional staff are 7.8 percent below, and paraprofessional and technical staff are 7.4 percent below. Clerical and secretarial staff are 2.8 percent above regional employers and 8.3 percent below state government levels.

The University Staff Advisory Committee recommended a 5 percent increase in its 2000 Staff Compensation and Benefits Committee report, consistent with its previous recommendation of 15 percent across three years. The Faculty Compensation and Benefits Committee chose not to make a recommendation this year, but its most recent recommendation was 15 percent across three years.

Individual employees may receive more or less than the average increase, based on performance and internal and market equities, following a policy established in fiscal year 1994. "Colleges and vice presidential units have done a good job with the distribution of salary funds," Ray said. "There are no entitlements."

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