YSU Labor summit seeks to get at root of trouble

The labor summit grew out of increasing employee tensions on campus.
By RON COLE
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A two-day summit aimed at improving labor-management relations at Youngstown State University concludes today.
Representatives from the university's four employee unions met with administrators to discuss topics ranging from improving grievance procedures to building collegiality in contract negotiations.
"We're hopeful this is a step to working together to face the challenges in the next few years," Tom Maraffa, director of faculty relations, said at Wednesday's opening.
"Keep in mind that our purpose here is not to resolve problems but to address the underlying limitations that prevent us from solving problems," said David Porter, faculty union president.
YSU President David Sweet said he hoped for candid exchanges and promised "nothing that will be said will be held against anyone."
The meetings in McKay Auditorium on campus were not open to the press.
What's behind this: The labor summit grows out of increasing employee tensions on campus that date to the end of Leslie Cochran's tenure as president in July.
In the 1999-2000 academic year, the number of grievances filed more than tripled.
A survey last spring showed that the majority of faculty said they feared that expressing their views to the administration would bring reprisal.
The faculty union's contract expires in August 2002, and union leaders have said they expect negotiations to be difficult.