Administration and state officials expressed hope Tuesday that the Teaching Assistants' Association would not have to strike next week despite the TAA's Monday night vote to do so.
According to Boian Popunkiov, TAA co-president, the group is currently informing members of new developments and trying to schedule a new bargaining session with the state.
The offer on the table from the state consists of a 4.6 percent pay increase, up from an earlier offer of 1.7 percent.
\We're very happy to see that offer; I think it represents movement, and I think the only reason why [the state] did that is because we've been organizing and we've had this vote,"" Popunkiov said.
A major point of contention between the TAA, the state and administration is assessing which schools make up UW-Madison's peer group. The state's peer group includes some Big Ten schools, but also schools in California, Texas and Washington. According to this comparison, UW-Madison TAs would need only a 3.5-percent pay increase to bring them to the median level.
The TAA is using a different peer system, which includes only Big Ten schools.
According to Phillip Certain, Dean of the College of Letters and Science, the administration is comparing UW-Madison to similar large, research-oriented, flagship state schools. The TAA maintains that UW-Madison salaries should be compared to only Big Ten schools, excluding Northwestern.
This discrepancy accounts for the 10 percent difference in the offer the TAA has received and the amount they are asking for.
Karen Timberlake, director of Office and State Employee Relations, is optimistic about negotiations.
""From the state's perspective, we're ready to go back to the bargaining table,"" she said. ""We understand from the TAA that they are interested in setting up some additional bargaining rules and we'll continue to hope that both sides can work hard toward reaching a contract.""
The TAA is still looking for either zero-cost health care, pay equity with other Big Ten schools or some combination of the two, Popunkiov said.
""Our members felt that the deal as it stood on the table is not acceptable and they decided to continue with the strike, continue organizing and have another membership meeting next Monday.""
A simple majority of members can vote to call off the strike in the meeting on Monday. If an agreement is reached at the bargaining table, the executive council of the TAA will recommend the members accept it and the members will then vote on it.
""I think [the new offer] shows that [the state is] afraid, that they think we can actually be very successful with this action,"" Popunkiov said.
