Lakeland Faculty Association to Rally in Advance of Board Meeting on Sept. 7
KIRTLAND, Ohio – September 6, 2023 – The Lakeland Faculty Association (LFA) will rally outside the Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday, September 7 to continue its fight for a just contract that supports a student-focused, high-quality education. The rally will begin at 5:00 p.m. in the parking lot of the Holden University Center on campus. The rally follows three failed mediation sessions, which, despite heroic efforts by the federal mediator, did not result in agreement and ultimately led the LFA to initiate the Statutory Fact-Finding process on Tuesday.
“Eighteen days into an expired contract, a week into the semester, on the eve of Labor Day weekend, the College offered LFA a “supposal” last Friday that, if anything, was worse than what they had offered before,” said LFA President Tobin F. Terry. He continued, “This was not a serious response. In fact, it was an insult. The Board is trying to force us into concessions that will harm our students and our community. LFA will not be intimidated. The Lakeland community deserves a high-quality and supportive learning environment that puts students first, and we’ll continue to fight for exactly that.” Terry is one of nine members of the faculty’s bargaining team.
Statutory Fact-Finding can be initiated by either party any time after the appointment of a federal mediator. An evidentiary hearing with a third-party neutral will be held in which each party will make statements, present evidence, and question and cross-examine witnesses. If one or both parties ultimately rejects the fact-finder’s recommendations, the LFA will have the legal right to withhold services and engage in a work stoppage.
“We are not asking for the impossible. Our proposals are both reasonable and feasible,” says LFA Spokesperson Lynne Gabriel. “The College’s refusal to make meaningful movement toward middle ground disrespects the hard work, careful consideration, and true spirit of cooperation that LFA has put into more than three months of negotiations on behalf of our students and community.” Gabriel will be available for comment at the rally.
For more information about Fact-Finding, see Section 4117.14 of the Ohio Revised Code and the State Employment Relations Board (SERB) website. For the latest information on LFA, join our email list on the LFA website, like the LFA Facebook page, follow @LakelandFacultyAssociation on Instagram, and keep up with the conversation on social media with #LFAstrongerTogether.