Salem State Union Rejects School Proposal

SALEM, MA — The union representing some Salem State University faculty and librarians rejected the school's request for flexible dates of a mandated furlough as part of an ongoing dispute with university leadership.

Massachusetts State College Association President C.J. O'Donnell said the union rejected the proposal "for a number of reasons" as it awaits a review of an unfair labor practice charge against the university.

The charge was filed with the Massachusetts Department on Labor Relations on Nov. 13 and was dismissed on Jan. 14. The union requested a review of the dismissal that is still pending.

The university provided the union a choice of any two weeks among six windows in the 2021 and 2022 academic year — beginning with next week's 2021 spring break — but the union said it rejected the proposal on the advice of counsel Laurie Houle.

Because of that, one of the furloughs will be imposed during next week's spring break for all faculty.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a clarification from a previous version of this story.)

The union argues that the financial hardship the university cited in calling for the furloughs this fall does not exist and that by accepting the flexible dates it was conceding to agreeing to accepting any furloughs at all.

The union said the school will report a $14 million surplus this year that level state funding and steady student enrollment eliminate the need for cutbacks that were claimed necessary when two other school unions agreed to the furloughs at the onset of the coronavirus health crisis.

The MSCA argues that furlough agreements with the other two unions should also be voided based on the improved financial outlook at the school.

"It is clear to the MSCA Board of Directors that there is no financial need to furlough MSCA faculty and librarians," O'Donnell said in a statement. "President (John) Keenan likely will claim there is a financial need, that it is only fair to furlough MSCA members,
and that the MSCA is the problem.

"We believe the problem lies with the Salem State University administration."

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)