Central Michigan Faculty Approve 3-Year Contract

MOUNT PLEASANT (WWJ/AP) - At long last, a deal is finalized between Central Michigan University and its faculty union.

Faculty members at the Mount Pleasant school have ratified a three-year contract with CMU administrators, ending a negotiation process that began last April and resulted in a brief strike that delayed the start of fall classes.

The university and the CMU faculty association reached a tentative agreement last month. The union and university announced Thursday that faculty members voted to approve the deal. Terms weren't immediately released.

CMU spokesman Steven Smith admits the process of reaching an agreement was "challenging and at times divisive."

Negotiations began in April. Faculty struck Aug. 22, the first day of classes for the fall semester.

Isabella County Circuit Court Judge Paul Chamberlain ordered them back to work, then facilitated bargaining that produced the deal.

Central Michigan has about 28,000 students, including roughly 21,000 enrolled at the Mount Pleasant campus.

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