ACE negotiations may soon end

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown State University’s Association of Classified Employees contract negotiations may come to an end in March.

YSU spokesman Ron Cole said ACE has reached a tentative agreement with the university on a labor contract.

The ACE union includes accountants, carpenters, computer operators, customer-service workers, custodians, electricians, nurses, laboratory technicians, clerks, secretaries and others across all university departments.

ACE has been working without a contract since August and has been bargaining since May. Details of the tentative pact were not released.

During a December meeting, HaSheen Wilson, YSU IT customer service network administrator and ACE executive committee member, said ACE members were feeling oppressed.

“It has been hostile environment for ACE members,” Wilson said. “We didn’t just let it happen, either. The administration didn’t really value us.”

University leaders hope to take the tentative agreement to the YSU Board of Trustees for review and ratification during the March 15 board meeting, Cole said.

The last time a contract was under negotiation between ACE and YSU, the university board of trustees voted 7-0 in May 2015 to implement the contract despite the union’s rejection.