YSU Mediator called as talks fail

Salary increases for administrators have been temporarily frozen.
By RON COLE
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A federal mediator is being called in to oversee contract talks between Youngstown State University and its classified union.
"We have reached impasse," Roman Swerdan, president of the YSU Association of Classified Employees, said this morning. That means a mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service will enter the talks.
The union represents nearly 380 nonteaching employees ranging from maintenance workers to computer programmers. The union's contract expires Aug. 21.
The university also is negotiating with the YSU chapter of the Ohio Education Association, which represents about 350 faculty. That contract expires Aug. 15.
"We're continuing to negotiate," John Russo, faculty union president, said this morning.
Both unions planned to have a news conference this afternoon to talk about the negotiations.
"I am disappointed that the YSU-ACE leadership has called an impasse in contract negotiations," YSU President David Sweet said today. "I remain committed to our guiding principle of providing fair, market-based wages within the realities of the current university budget and the third straight cut in YSU's state funding," he said.
Frozen salaries
Meanwhile, YSU says salaries for top administrators will be frozen until the union negotiations are completed.
Administrators, including the provost, vice presidents and deans, usually get salary increases on July 1.
Walter Ulbricht, YSU director of marketing and communications, said no raises have been given and won't be until after contracts with the two unions are settled.
That also means that four administrators put into new positions July 1 won't have their salaries adjusted until after negotiations, Ulbricht said.