An unfair labor practice complaint has been filed against Miami University by its faculty union after more than a year of seemingly deadlocked negotiations.
The Faculty Alliance of Miami’s complaint comes after union representatives say Miami University has tried in proposed contracts to restrict former university management, such as department chairs or deans, from being a part of the union’s leadership.
“They would like to tell us who can represent the union, and how,” the union wrote in a news release. “We believe this is illegal, inappropriate, and a delaying tactic.”
Miami University denied the charge, saying in a release it is “confident” that its proposals do not violate the union’s rights or tread on illegal ground. “Miami remains committed to bargaining in good faith,” a university spokesperson said.
Ohio’s State Employee Relations Board will investigate the complaint under a state law that lists types of unfair negotiating tactics between unions and employers.
Miami is the largest employer in Butler County with more than 3,700 full- and part-time employees. The union has repeatedly said the university is prioritizing other endeavors like a new basketball arena instead of its staff.
An agreement on a pay raise still hasn’t been reached. When negotiations began, the union proposed that the university provide union members with a 2% pay increase for the 2023-24 school year, as was being provided to all other university employees.
The university asked the union to agree that the 2% increase would be the total annual increment for union members for that first year, and the union rejected it, Lipton previously told The Enquirer, because the union was looking to bargain for more than the 2% proposal.
“It’s time for management to commit to a fair compensation package,” said Theresa Kulbaga, one of the faculty union’s negotiators in the release. “Miami clearly has the money. And we’ve waited long enough.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Miami University faculty union files unfair labor practice complaint