Owens talks on contract to continue

10/1/2004

Administrators and union representatives for faculty members at Owens Community College are planning to continue contract talks on Tuesday, following four consecutive days of negotiating this week.

Their talks ended late yesterday afternoon without a contract resolution, said Gary Dettling, vice president of college advancement at Owens.

The 240 members of the Owens Faculty Association, Local 4670, have been working without a contract since February. The college has campuses in Perrysburg Township and Findlay.

The negotiating sessions, initially planned for only two days this week, were scheduled last week after union members rallied on campus with the help of union leaders from across Lucas County. They took a strike vote for possible future use, with the results of it remaining sealed for now.

Should upcoming discussions break down, the next step would be the use of a fact-finder process. Issues key to the negotiations include benefits, wages, and a proposed salary-range classification.