AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) — The start of classes could be delayed this school year at Oakland University as the union representing the school's faculty says they’re still without a contract.
The contract originally expired on Aug. 14 but has been extended until Sept. 3, the day before classes are set to begin unless an agreement is reached soon. That means the school year could begin with roughly 680 faculty on strike.
It’s currently welcome week with students moving in on Friday filled with nerves but mainly excitement.
“It's so very exciting," incoming freshman Kiera Harris said. "New atmosphere, new places, new things, new people. It’s all just so very exciting.”
Harris says this is the beginning of her journey studying criminal justice and she hopes to go to law school to one day become a judge. But that journey could now start a few days later than she thought.
“I heard there was a potential strike, classes might start September 4th, they might not,” Harris said. "Obviously, I'm a freshman. I want to start as soon as I can but, you know, to have a few more days off? I'm OK with that.”
The uncertainty stems from a contract dispute between the school and its faculty. The union representing roughly 680 professors says they’ve been negotiating since June but have yet to reach a deal.
“The sides are really not all that far apart," said Michael Latcha, an OU associate professor and president of the AAUP- AFT Chapter. "We are confident and hopeful that the university can put something on the table we can agree to and we can be in class Wednesday morning when students show up."
But Latcha says it's unlikely they would meet students in class Wednesday without a new deal. Back in 2021, the union started the year with a strike that lasted two days. Latcha says they agreed to a minimal raise and since then, inflation has risen dramatically. Without a better raise in this contract, they could strike again.
Watch our 2021 coverage of the strike as the school year started at Oakland University:
“We really are just down to money. Everything else has been either taken off the table or resolved,” Latcha said. "I am hopeful that the administration will do the right thing and give us something we can agree to.”
The university says the five-year deal they proposed is their best in decades, with a 16% salary increase and 21% increase in overall compensation, saying it “reflects what OU believes is the best package it can offer without incurring systemic deficits moving forward.”
Students we spoke to overall were in support of the teachers. Some had been told about the situation, while others hadn't.
“I used to want to be a teacher when I was younger and the whole reason I stopped that — like I didn't want to be a teacher anymore — was because they don't get paid enough," said incoming freshman Miranda Amesse, who's studying political science. "So I would back them for a strike to get paid more, for sure.”
While the start of the school year is still up in the air, both sides say they hope an agreement is reached before the school year begins.
“We are prepared to welcome students into the classroom as soon as we have a contract. Everyone has everything prepared, ready to go," Latcha said. "That (contract) is the only thing standing in the way.”
The two sides will meet again Sunday and are also scheduled to meet again with a mediator on Tuesday, hoping to have a deal reached by the start of classes on Wednesday.
