ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Tuesday is a crucial time for contract negotiations between Oakland University and the teachers union.

Both sides said Sunday’s meeting ended in a stalemate over salary increases, which threatens to delay the start of the fall semester on Wednesday.

Connor McGuffin said he wants life at Oakland University to get back to business. The sophomore biology major said the earlier classes start, the sooner students are one step closer to their dream career. For him, it’s a career as an orthopedic surgeon.

“I basically hope that classes start on time because the professors are here to teach and they love teaching. That’s why they did everything they could to come here,” he said.

However, the faculty union and the university cannot agree on a new collective agreement.

“I can imagine it going both ways because I know that teaching and education are valuable,” McGuffin said.

“But I also see how sensible this is from a financial point of view… I don’t think it would be difficult for a university to finance all of this,” he continued.

7 News Detroit learned that there was movement on some issues at Sunday’s meeting. However, there is still no movement on the raises.

Following Sunday’s meeting, Oakland University released a statement that said, in part, “The faculty union has rejected the university’s austerity package, which calls for a total salary increase of 21 percent over five years. This includes a 16 percent increase in base salary over five years and an additional one percent in the form of one-time bonuses.”

The statement continued: “In contrast, the faculty union is insisting on an austerity package that provides for a total increase of 30% over five years, which is neither feasible nor sustainable.”

In response to this statement, Dr. Jennifer Lucarelli told 7 News Detroit, “I’m not entirely sure that these numbers are an accurate representation of what the teachers’ union is asking for. I also don’t think they are necessarily an accurate representation of what the university is offering.”

Lucarelli, an associate professor of health sciences, said the teachers’ union’s ultimate goal is to bring salaries into line with the current cost of living.

“The data shows that, on average, we earn about 25% less than other faculty of similar rank and at our institution across the country,” she explained.

Lucarelli said the two parties are actually not that far apart in their negotiations. She said the union is demanding the following increases:

Year 1 – 4%
Year 2 – 3.75%
Year 3 – 3.5%
Years 4 – 3.25%
Year 5 – 3.25%

This corresponds to an increase of 17.75% over 5 years.

“In our opinion, the university could afford these salary increases for faculty. They are just setting different priorities in terms of their overall budget,” Lucarelli explained.

After Sunday’s meeting, the university said it “remains committed to finalizing a new agreement in time so that the fall semester can begin as planned on September 4.”

Today, interim Provost Kevin Corcoran added, “We look forward to tomorrow’s discussion to see if we can reach an agreement.”