By Scott Pohl, WKAR News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-963542.mp3
East Lansing, MI – The Graduate Employees Union has reached a tentative contract agreement with Michigan State University.
WKAR's Scott Pohl reports.
AUDIO:
Contract talks with MSU began in February and culminated in an 11-hour overnight session that ended with a deal at 6:35 this morning.
GEU vice president Andrew Cooper recommends ratification. He calls the deal "a true compromise."
"We have a lot of issues that we were very concerned with," Cooper says, "that we have historically been concerned with, not just this contract but previous contracts for ten years, that finally got resolved, which we're really, really happy about that; things that improve our lives, don't cost the university much money."
Details of the four-year contract will be discussed at a GEU membership meeting on Tuesday, with a ratification vote likely the following week.
There are 1,300 teaching assistants in the union.