Contract struggles divide 'U,' union

The University has reached an impasse in contract negotiations with the Association of Federal, State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1583 -- a University union that represents about 2,400 workers.

"We just couldn't get it done in three weeks," said Art Anderson, president of AFSCME, referring to the failure of the expedited negotiations.

Negotiations will resume under normal conditions on July 10, said Vice President for University Relations Lisa Baker.

"We had to end expedited negotiations and we now will go to regular negotiations," Baker said.

Baker was careful to emphasize that relations between the union and the University remain fair.

"It wasnÕt the talks breaking down," Baker said. "They just failed to reach an agreement using this type of bargaining."

The University and AFSCME avow that they will be able to reach an acceptable agreement -- "strike" is not a word being whispered at this time.

"It's not critical yet ... I think eventually we're going to get it worked out," Anderson said.

Baker was also confident that the two parties are heading in the right direction.

"I have been told that the (negotiations) were good," Baker said.

The optimism expressed by both parties is encouraging, but there are still some obstacles on the road to consummation.

AFSCME wants a number of issues regarding their 1,000 hospital workers to be resolved. Resolution of these matters is contingent on an agreement between the two parties.

The University wants to combine sick, vacation and seasonal days into a 20-day package, according to an Ann Arbor News report. Presently, employees receive more than the 20 days offered in the University's proposal.

The University also proposes to end annual bonuses for long-time service.

AFSCME represents other workers in the University as well, Anderson said. Most issues that AFSCME is concerned with pertain to all 2,400 of these workers, not just the 1,000 at the hospital.

07-02-97