There has been plenty of talk recently about the Youngstown State University faculty members potentially going on strike over contract negotiations This should not come as a surprise to anyone.
The faculty have not received an acceptable pay raise over the course of the past several contracts. Heavy workloads have been thrown onto them as well, whether that be in the classroom or administrative assistant work. If the administration wants to continue this pattern into the current faculty contract, clearly faculty are not going to take this lightly.
Now, it should be addressed that no official strike has been issued yet. The OEA-YSU union and the administration still hope to reach an agreement before it comes to that, which would be the best outcome. If the administration does not treat the faculty with equity, a strike will be administered. Not only will the university suffer, but the students will as well. Academics would be disrupted and some students could be thrown off track, and that’s something that no one wants.
As students who pay to attend this university, it sometimes becomes easy to be selfish. Thoughts such as, “How will this affect me?” and “I hate the idea of everything pushed back closer to Christmas,” start to run through heads.
While these thoughts are natural and somewhat justified, it matters more to look at the larger picture. What would a university be without its professors? The answer is simple: nothing. The faculty are the ones who not only educate students, but also offer them guidance into their future careers and dedicate their time for the students and community’s sake far beyond the classroom.
These individuals deserve to be compensated for all of the hard work and dedication that goes into teaching at a university. At the same time, students and faculty alike wish to be in the classroom doing what it is that this university was built for. With all of this in mind, the greatest news to come out of this dispute would be a compromise.
