UA-AAUP conract talks in home stretch

UPDATE: Negotiations between the University of Akron and the AAUP on a new three-year contract may not produce an agreement by next Tuesday, when the current contract expires. "We're in intensive negotiations with a mediator and I'm hopeful," says Walter Hixson, the AAUP president at UA. But a big issue remains - faculty pay. The AAUP is seeking $6.4 million economic package spread over three years; and the UA administration is locked in on "zero zero, zero," he said, noting the the university is much less competitive with other state universities in economic benefits. The AAUP has also called for the recognition of domestic partnerships by UA - an initiative rejected by the other side on "moral grounds," says Hixson,

Without an agreement by Tuesday, the issue will go into a fact-finding phase to determine the validity of the terms sought by either side. . If there is no agreement by mid-January, look for a strike vote , Hixon says, which could lead to a disruption that neither side wants.