Shortly after 4 a.m., the Lecturers’ Employee Organization
and the University administration cut off negotiations for the
evening, ensuring that the planned LEO walkout will occur
today.
“Because it came so late in the night, we did not make any
tentative agreements,” LEO President Bonnie Halloran said.
“We do not have a new contract and will be holding the
walkout as planned.”
The “strike central” on campus is Haven Hall, facing
the Diag, the LEO website said. Picketing was to begin at 5:30
a.m.
“We definitely made progress on job security and
salary,” Halloran said. “The walkout will go on to
ensure progress continues.”
The administration, however, is still optimistic that an
agreement will be reached.
“The University bargaining team feels they are making
headway,” University spokeswoman Julie Peterson said.
Both sides have no plans for the immediate future, aside from
more talks that will restart tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.
The University has yet to meet the demands of LEO. There have
been 36 bargaining sessions, which have resulted in agreement on 18
contract articles, since the inception of the talks on August
19.
The last article that was passed regards how the University
posts its available job positions.
“The lecturers are an important group on campus, and they
do a good job in terms of creating a wonderful and intellectual
environment,” University President Mary Sue Coleman said.
The negotiations, which began at 1 p.m. at the Wolverine Room in
the Michigan Union, mostly revolved around salary and job security
issues, Peterson said. The negotiations were scheduled to last
until 5 p.m., but bargaining sessions were restarted at 5:30 p.m.
and extended into the early morning at the Administrative Services
Building near the Wolverine Towers.
The two sides did not sit down at the bargaining table until
around 10 p.m. Before that, the lead negotiators for the two
bargaining teams made “conceptual presentations” of
their perspectives on the issues. Each presentation was followed by
questions from the opposing group.
And while there has been little movement in talks, both sides
say they have been able to remain civil throughout the bargaining
sessions.
“The negotiations have always been very
professional,” Halloran said.