News Update - October 11, 2006

Yesterday, we received notification that the UEA has petitioned for mediation with the Bureau of Mediation Services (BMS). Mediation is a normal part of the negotiating process, and the BMS is the State agency that assigns us a mediator to help resolve the issues we have remaining in the process of negotiating a new contract for the Crookston faculty.

A mediator is a neutral party brought into the negotiations process to help guide both parties toward a contract settlement. The mediator has the authority to compel both parties to meet, but can not force either party to agreement on a specific issue or the contract as a whole. The mediator will spend time with each party to learn more about their positions on issues and will also bring the parties together face-to-face to present proposals much like we have been doing.

The fact that we are now in mediation with the Association means our meeting schedule will likely change to accommodate the mediator. As soon as we have additional information about meetings, we will communicate that to you.

The University of Minnesota , Crookston (UMC) is one of four campuses in the University of Minnesota land grant system.  UMC is a coordinate campus that provides a unique approach through applied and polytechnic baccalaureate education, research, and service.

UMC is an equal opportunity educator and employer