Union says it has YSU’s final, best offer

This so-called "final. best" offer is neither. It is a lousy and insulting one and, under normal circumstances, should be firmly rejected. However, these are not normal circumstances. The fate of SB5 may well hang in the balance and a strike by YSU faculty will significantly boost the chances of this draconian legislation becoming law, something the neanderthal YSU administrators and their controllers in the Republican state government desperately want. Do not give these scoundrels the strike they desperately want. Work without a contract until SB5 goes down in a firestorm of righteous anger; and then hit these vultures with everything we got because We Are Ohio, and we are not for sale.

It is now 5 PM on Wednesday, the day of the "final, best offer." My bet is the union will accept it ... just as they WOULD have accepted things several days ago. But, the union desperately wants to be perceived as being magnanimous and as giving back, and taking it on the chin by taking cuts. Pffft ... strictly a PR move on the part of the union. So when they DO vote to accept, the spin will be "we know things are tough ... we are here for the students ... we are common folks ..." et cetera.

Dr. Linkon wants everyone to feel sorry for her with the concessions she has to make of $5-10K. But sorry, Sherry, the public knows you and your husband (chair of Working Class studies might I add) Dr. John Russo have a combined household income of nearly $200,000! Your PR stunt failed.

I for one hope the faculty votes to strike. The offer from the admin is a joke. Junior faculty cannot afford a $5,000 pay cut, and this “offer” should be flatly rejected. The faculty cannot be replaced, and the admin would never even attempt to do so.

See you are back pro ( hate america)
Head of the tea

@unionshateamerica

That is a great idea. Let's replace our college professors with less costly replacements. I mean no one really wants to be taught by PhDs or anything. Heck, why don't you teach "intro to not knowing what you are talking about" it sounds like you are well suited.

@unionshateamerica

So, you could teach Virology? Genetics? Immunology? Calculus? Biochemistry? No? What about Computer programming? Accounting Information Systems? Pediatric Emergency Care? Advanced Arabic? Chemical Engineering thermodynamics? Construction surveying? Clinical Hematology? Criminal Law? Applied Neuroscience for Physical Therapy? Shall I go on? Do you have any idea of the breadth and depth of subjects taught at YSU or how their mastery can effect the professional opportunities for our graduates as well as the welfare of our society? Somehow, by your comments, I doubt it.

A PhD is not sacred, but it (along with other supporting background information) indicates an advanced mastery of a field of knowledge. It requires many years of hard work, study and training to achieve this level of mastery. Teaching advanced topics requires advanced understanding. People who have that level of expertise often opt for higher paying fields than academia.

I know that I could earn two to three times the amount that I am paid as a YSU Professor (I am a Geneticist/Molecular Biologist) in the private sector. Teaching and basic research are more important to me than a six-figure income though, so here I am. The same is true for most Professors at YSU. We are even reluctantly willing to take cuts in our take home salary for the sake of our students and our University, but there is no sense in asking us to take less and less, increasingly less than other Professors in Ohio, when the Administration gives itself fat raises and takes more money from students who can often ill afford it. In particular, the offered contract is punitive on newer Professors and Instructors with families. Do we want to chase new talent away?

We should value training the next generation of professionals. We should value enhancing the skills and knowledge of members of our community.

This is digusting to read! Just a bunch of rediculous comments from uneducated, fairness hating, idiots who want their 15 minutes of fame on vindy.com! Get a grip and get some facts straight! Publicity stunt? I can gurantee not. No one is going to be happy about a 5k-10k pay cut, but the professors are willing to take it just to have a job. They aren't doing to get into the public eye and have people feel pity for them. They are real hard working Americans, just like you and I, well like me at least, I don't know about @unionshateamerica, because you sound like uneducated scum.

I think some one needs to go to anger management class. My guess is "unions" is a college drop out who blames their inability to get a real job on the left wing "pseudo-intellectuals" that just didn't understand him.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/school-super...

@unionshateAmerica, do not talk about how YSU students and parents feel. I am a YSU student, and I do not appreciate an uneducated, babbling, idiot putting words in my mouth. Yeah my tuition went up but I will invest whatever I need to, in order to further my education. Something you probably know nothing about! Unions are the voice of hardworking Americans when the egotistical big shots try to act like dictators. Get your facts straight before you try to speak for an entire group of people that you know NOTHING about!