Spring Break
Administration halts adjunct negotiations
Mark Scialla
Issue date: 2/3/09 Section: News
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According to Dorothy Donnelly, a full-time URI English professor and URI AAUP chapter president, the university administration discontinued contract negotiations in November and has "refused to resume." The negotiations began May 5, 2008.
"We have tried to contact administration and they have given us excuses," Donnelly said. "In my opinion they are deliberate stalling tactics."
URI Vice Provost Clifford Katz said negotiations have halted and a mediation process has taken place. He said the administration is trying to schedule dates to begin mediation discussions.
URI President Robert L. Carothers said mediations began yesterday morning at the URI College of Continuing Education in Providence and continued throughout the day.
According to Carothers, before negotiations can resume the mediation process must define exactly who is considered part-time faculty and if the bargaining unit covers them. "This is a fundamental question which is keeping this from going forward," Carothers said. "We are stuck in the most preliminary stage and can't get past this."
He said that only when the mediation is over would the university be able to assess how much the PTFU's proposals will cost.
"There's no mystery who is covered," Donnelly said. "We want more [part-time faculty] covered and they want less. That's the issue."
Vice President for Administration and Finance, Robert Weygand said the university is focusing all its efforts on mediation at this time.
University officials declined to comment on why negotiations were discontinued and what exactly was discussed in the recent mediation process.
