Youngstown State faculty, trustees approve new contract after months of negotiations

Faculty members at a northeast Ohio university have a new contract after months of negotiations.

Trustees at Youngstown State University on Tuesday approved the contract that calls for a wage freeze this year, then 1 and 2 percent raises over the next two years.

The faculty union approved the agreement last week. The three-year contract includes step increases in salary and bonuses based on academic rank.

Faculty will see cuts to summer pay, sabbatical pay, and pay for Web-based courses. The agreement also eliminates a longstanding continuing teaching program for retiring faculty, but offers incentives for faculty who retire prior to the 2016 academic year.

The contract is retroactive to August, when the faculty's previous contract expired.