The Communications Workers of America OSU Local 4501 is expected to return to work today, after a tentative agreement was reached Friday morning between the union and the university.

Union members will vote on whether to accept the proposal on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week at various campus locations designated by the union.

“We are thrilled to have the workers coming back (today),” said Elizabeth Conlisk, Ohio State spokeswoman.

Gary Josephson, union local president, said that he fully expects the workers to pass the tentative resolution this week.

“I expect it to pass strongly,” he said.

Conlisk was equally optimistic.

“We fully expect the workers to come back and start doing the job for which they are paid,” she said.

Josephson said the union workers have generally embraced the loose agreement.

“We should have gotten more, but we got what we asked for,” he said.

The “landmark” agreement announced Friday by OSU President William “Brit” Kirwan and Josephson will keep the proposed pay split in the union between hospital employees and other union members.

The agreement calls for a $1 an hour raise for all union workers effective July 1. However, workers at the OSU Medical Center would receive a 50-cent raise on June 18 and receive the additional 50 cents on their anniversary date.

After this year, campus workers would receive a 50-cent an hour raise in both 2001 and 2002. Hospital workers would receive a 40-cent hourly raise in 2001 and a 50-cent hourly raise in 2002.

In a statement released Friday, Kirwan said, “This is a landmark agreement that is fair and equitable and which addresses concerns raised by both sides.”

Josephson said he was pleased in agreeing to what he thinks is a significant step forward to ending the strike.

“We pressed our issues and the university listened, and we listened to the university’s issues. In the end, I believe we have wound up with a win/win agreement – one that has my full support and the support of the entire negotiating team,” he said.

Josephson also urged union members not only to return to work on today, but also to ratify the agreement during the week.

As for the workers, many of those at the hospital say they are not happy with the agreement but feel that the campus workers will help to ratify it, and plan to return to work on today.

Other key points of the agreement that make this considered more beneficial by all include differential night-shift pay for hospital workers, possible merit-based raises starting in 2002, and up to a 35-cent raise for new union workers who complete a 180-day probationary period.On the net