Excerpt from WDTN
Monday, the faculty union at Wright State filed to strike, giving the university ten days notice. Union members will start voting Tuesday to authorize a strike starting on January 22.
Students at Wright State University do not return until next week, but the latest developments concerning a potential faculty strike already have some students feeling uneasy.
The administration says the university will stay open but students are frustrated that they are caught in the middle.
“We’re like the children in a nasty divorce,” says Student Body President Daniel Palmer. “And unfortunately, we’re the ones being harmed when we should be the priority.”
The tension on campus is evident.
“It’s a daily topic of conversation. Last semester especially, when the fact finder’s report was released,” said Ivan Mallett, a junior at Wright State.
Many students are concerned about their status at a university that is already undergoing financial turmoil.
“It doesn’t help with the negative news already occurring in this institution. We’ve been struggling financially, and now with this, it’s a big turn-off for prospective students in the area,” Palmer says.
The faculty union of roughly 600 instructors is legally bound to work under the conditions imposed by the university last Friday, but now they could strike.
“Both sides are here for the students. The administration in the union, at the end of the day, if that mission of being able to provide the best quality education for students isn’t being met, then eventually one side is going to have to cave,” says Mallett.
And while classes have yet to be impacted, the fierce battle has already caused significant damage.
“I’ve heard some students already talking about dropping out of their classrooms, because why would you go to a class with a professor you didn’t pay for?” Mallett said.
A university spokesperson says there is nothing left to negotiate. Legally, the union is bound by the terms and conditions imposed last Friday.
If the union does strike, that spokesperson says President Schrader, the provost, and others will pick up classes to ensure there is no interruption for students.
