Cleveland State University (CSU) workers, represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), held an informational picket outside the university on Thursday, citing their dissatisfaction with the lack of progress in contract negotiations after five months of talks.
The union claims that the university has proposed a three-year contract offering modest raises of 1.5% in the first year, 1% in the second, and just 0.5% in the third year. Mark Wirtz, a representative from the College of Arts and Sciences, voiced concerns about the offer, stating, “Which based on our salaries is just not sustainable. We can’t keep up with inflation. Many of us can’t even really afford to work here.”
Diane Greene, an employee at CSU, acknowledged the university’s financial struggles but expressed frustration over the impact on workers. “It’s all of our problems yet we have to live as well,” Greene said. “When the cost of living goes up three percent and we don’t even get the point five percent, we’re losing money every year.”
The university’s ongoing budget issues, which led to layoffs last year, have also contributed to the recent decision to eliminate three sports programs, including men’s wrestling. Wrestlers have been vocal about their desire to save the program, which they argue was financially successful. Senior wrestler Joey Lyons highlighted that in 2023, the wrestling program generated a net income of $100,000 for the university, in contrast to the basketball programs, which reportedly lost around $3.2 million.
In a twist, the wrestlers point out that a decade ago, CSU students voted to add a $3-per-credit-hour fee to preserve the wrestling program. Lyons claimed that the university later altered the wording of the funding on the Cleveland State website, changing it from a specific fund for wrestling to a general athletic fund. “They went in and they changed the wording in the documentation,” Lyons said, questioning the transparency and the management of the money.
The issue has caught the attention of Senator Bernie Moreno, who was the chairman of the CSU Board of Trustees when the wrestling program was saved in the past. Moreno has requested that university President Laura Bloomberg conduct a thorough review of the decision to eliminate the program.
“I think the program closing has a lot of questions that are rightfully being asked by the community,” Moreno said. “It had a profit, they’re saying there’s some deferred maintenance and other costs that all sports have to bear, but I’m not certain that the analysis on making it around whether to keep this program or not makes a lot of sense.” He added, “I’ve asked President Bloomberg to take another look at that, an earnest review, and I hope she does. Obviously I want to be very helpful to Cleveland State University and I want to make certain that the trustees really get together and take one more look at this. I think the community has actually rallied around the wrestling team and I think they’re owed an earnest review.”
As the union workers continue their protests and the fate of the wrestling program hangs in the balance, CSU is facing significant scrutiny from both employees and the broader community. Anyone can read Sen. Moreno’s full letter by clicking this link: Official Letter From Sen. Moreno.