Judge Orders Striking CMU Professors Back To Work

ISABELLA COUNTY (WWJ) - Striking professors at Central Michigan University must return to work. That order coming from an Isabella County judge Monday after members of the Faculty Association walked out on the first day of school.

The professors have been without a contract since June and were unable to reach an agreement before classes began.

Central Michigan's administration called it an illegal strike by public employees.

WWJ spoke with Laura Frey, President of the Faculty Association.

"There are a lot of voices saying that your bargaining team needs to come back to the table, but they need to come back to the table and bargain in good faith, and provide this faculty with a more equitable contract," said Frey. "Whether the administration will do that, I don't know."

Frey says they are looking forward to addressing the issue in court and say their walk out was in response to unfair labor practices by the administration.

Some of the issues that need to be addressed are changes in faculty health care, removing three groups of faculty from the bargaining unit, and an increase in the number of years for reappointment, promotion or tenure process says Frey.

Isabella County Circuit Court Judge Paul Chamberlain also ordered a court hearing on the dispute for 9 a.m. Friday.