Union Chief Speaks Out For Salem State Faculty, Librarians

SALEM, MA — The Massachusetts State College Association is urging Salem State faculty and librarians told two weeks ago that they must take a three-week furlough amid a university debt crisis not to fill out their furlough forms as they await a decision from the state Department of Labor Relations decision on the unfair labor practice charge filed against the school last week.

The school said it decided to mandate the furloughs — which it said two other unions at the school agreed to — after unions representing the faculty and librarians failed to enter into negotiations while the school faced a projected $26 million budget deficit it said was due to the coronavirus health crisis.

But the union said it would not enter those negotiations before state funding was determined. It contended that level state funding and steady student enrollment should allow the school to meet its contractual agreement with the faculty and librarians without furloughs or layoffs.

"Salem State University has continued to pile on its debt while simultaneously adding more and more senior administrators," MSCA President C.J. O'Donnell said in a statement. "All the while MSCA members had advised against this. The administration has made poor financial decisions for many years and now they want employees to pay for their mistakes"

Massachusetts State College Association Salem Chapter President Tiffany Chenault told Patch last week an unfair labor practices complaint was filed Friday to the state Department of Labor Relations in objection to the furloughs, while the university said in a statement to Patch that the three weeks are in line with furloughs that were negotiated with other unions at the school, and that the MSCA "declined numerous official requests to meet between June and October."

"Exempting faculty and librarians from these furloughs would be tremendously unfair to the (Association of Professional Administrators and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees), and non-union employees who have been participating in furloughs throughout the summer and fall," Salem State University President John Keenan said in a statement to Patch last week. "I realize that some have questioned the legality of requiring
faculty to take part in Salem State's furloughs; we are confident that we are on firm legal ground and respect the rights of MSCA to question this position."

O'Donnell disagreed.

"There will be no cut is state appropriations to public higher education in FY 2021, and there may be federal stimulus money for the states early in 2021," O'Donnell said. "COVID-19 is an excuse.

"We will be calling on MSCA members at all nine university to push back on President Keenan's illegal action."

Related Patch Coverage: Salem State To Furlough Faculty, Librarians 3 Weeks