CMU, Faculty Reach Tentative Agreement On Contract

MOUNT PLEASANT (WWJ/AP) - Central Michigan University said it has reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract for school faculty after a 14-hour negotiating session, bringing to an end a labor dispute that has dragged on for months.

The deal with the CMU Faculty Association was reached after talks that were facilitated by Isabella County Circuit Court Judge Paul Chamberlain, the school said in a statement late Thursday. Details weren't being released pending ratification.

It wasn't immediately clear when a vote would be held.

A posting on a CMU Faculty Association website said a tentative agreement had been reached but didn't offer specifics. It said a closed-door general membership informational meeting was scheduled for Dec. 12.

Negotiations began in April. Faculty members went on strikefor most of Aug. 22, the first day of classes for the fall semester at the Mount Pleasant school. Chamberlain had ordered faculty members back to work but they were still allowed to demonstrate.

Both sides were in court Thursday for a hearing in part on a request by Central Michigan University to make that temporary order permanent.

Professors say they had been without a contract since June 30, with disputes continuing over wages and other issues.

Central Michigan has about 28,000 students, including roughly 21,000 enrolled at the Mount Pleasant campus.

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