Professors in Mich. strike, school cancels classes

ROCHESTER, Mich. — Classes at a suburban Detroit university were canceled indefinitely on Thursday after professors upset over being asked to freeze their salaries a year after the university’s president got a $100,000 pay raise went on strike.

Oakland University, which has about 18,000 students, was to begin its fall semester on Thursday, but the teachers’ union authorized a strike the night before. The union, which represents 450 faculty members at the public four-year institution, said it decided to strike after the university proposed a three-year wage freeze along with cuts in health-insurance benefits.

“It was not something we wanted to do, because we are concerned about the welfare of our students,” nursing assistant professor Sharon Mills-Wisneski said while standing on the picket line at the entrance to the Rochester campus. “But it was something that needed to be done.”

About 25 faculty members and their supporters held signs outside the university Thursday afternoon reading: “We’d Rather be Teaching,” ”Better Contract Better Education” and “Administration Raises: Your Taxes at Work.”

Last year, the university increased President Gary Russi’s base pay from $250,000 to $350,000. University spokesman Ted Montgomery said at the time the increase was needed to bring Russi’s pay in line with the heads of other state schools, but the increase has angered many faculty and students.

Engineering student Tony Amaro, 30, of Waterford said faculty were naturally upset to be asked to take a three-year wage freeze a year after Russi got a raise.

“That’s driving people up the wall,” He said.

The professors went on strike after contract talks under way for months failed to produce a deal. Montgomery said state-mediated negotiations were scheduled to start later Thursday.

He declined further comment, referring to a university statement that said the school hopes for a quick settlement.

“The difficult economic circumstances we face, however, necessitate the university be extremely prudent,” the statement said.

Michigan leads the country in unemployment, and the state government is facing a multibillion-dollar budget deficit. It is the only state that gave less state tax aid to universities in 2008 than in 2003, according to the annual Grapevine report compiled by Illinois State University faculty.

On the Net:

Oakland University: www.oakland.edu

Professors union: oaklandaaup.org