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CMU Faculty On Strike, Classes Still On

MT. PLEASANT (WWJ) - The faculty at Central Michigan University may be on strike, but students should still report to classes on Monday, according to a statement from the university.

CMU and its faculty had been in negotiations all weekend, but with little progress. University spokesman Steve Smith tells WWJ the talks with the faculty association broke down on Saturday. "The mediator at the end of the session on Saturday finally said that both sides were so far apart that he was adjourning future talks," says Smith.

Smith says the school plans to seek a court injunction to get the faculty members back to work. "This does carry the weight of the law. Michigan law prohibits public employees from striking and CMU faculty members are considered public employees," says Smith.

Faculty members had authorized their union leaders to call a job action that could include a strike over the failure to reach a labor contract. The professors have been without a contract since June 30.

However, despite the work stoppage by CMU's faculty association, classes are scheduled to go on. "Students should report for classes. Not only have we heard from several members of the faculty association that they will report for classes, but we have close to a thousand fixed-term faculty, as well graduate assistants that conduct classes on a regular basis," he says.

Smith adds, "A number of our classes will still be taught. Students should be there and be ready to hit the new academic year running."

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