After a passing vote last week moved the 14 Pennsylvania state universities one step closer toward a possible faculty strike, contract negotiations continued between the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties and Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education.
“The State System is committed to remaining at the bargaining table for as long as it takes to achieve an agreement that is fair to everyone involved, recognizing the extraordinary contributions our faculty make to the success of students and the universities and addressing the unprecedented fiscal challenges facing the universities,” said Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education spokesman Kenn Marshall.”
Negotiating teams from the State System and APSCUF met Sept. 19. Talks resume again Sept. 20, and another session is scheduled for Sept. 21.
Marshall said that the two sides exchanged a variety of proposals including on faculty pay and modifications to healthcare, as well as other important issues such as distance education.
“We are hopeful there will be continued progress when we resume discussions (Sept. 20) as we work toward a contract that is affordable for our students and our universities,” said Marshall. “Our top priority remains our students, and ensuring they have continued, uninterrupted access to high-quality, affordable education.”
According to an APSCUF release on Sept. 20, APSCUF requested that the “parties undergo binding arbitration, during which a three-person panel (one selected by each side and one selected by both) could conclude the contract dispute between APSCUF and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.”
The request comes after the State System on Sept. 19 sent APSCUF a formal announcement that it wants to undergo fact-finding with a Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board arbitrator, according to the release.
“We believe our strike-authorization vote sparked the marathon contract negotiations that began last week and that continue today and tomorrow,” President Dr. Kenneth M. Mash said in the release. “It’s unfortunate that we needed to take that step to prompt any action; we want to reach a conclusion.
“However, the State System’s request for fact-finding sends a mixed message. The practical effect of this tactic will likely be to delay the process for a month, since it is not binding on either party. Fact-finding ends a contract dispute in only about 25 percent of cases, but binding arbitration is effective in 100 percent of the cases in which it is agreed to. We believe our students want this over as soon as possible, and we hope the State System will agree to the binding-arbitration process that will allow everyone to focus on our students.”
APSCUF issued a statement in the release, “Overall, APSCUF objects to State System proposals that would affect the quality of education faculty members could provide to their students.”
Proposals APSCUF said it opposes are the substantially increased use of temporary faculty in lieu of permanent faculty, using students with few graduate credits to teach courses, stopping funding of faculty research and professional development, forcing on-campus students into distance education sections, giving university presidents unilateral authority to transfer faculty members to other departments, and cutting the lowest-paid faculty members’ salaries by 20 percent.
“Early this month, APSCUF faculty members voted to authorize a strike, with 93 percent of voters in favor. The vote was the third of multiple steps before a faculty job action could commence,” states APSCUF in the release.
APSCUF held a strike vote Sept. 7 to 9, which passed, authorizing the state APSCUF President Dr. Ken Mash to call a vote of the 14 chapter presidents, there is one chapter president at each of the Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education universities.
“If 10 vote in favor, then Dr. Mash, with consultation from those 14 people, can set a strike date,” said Kutztown APSCUF PR Chair and Spokesperson Daniel Spiegel, a KU computer science professor.
“The last time a strike date was set was for July 1, 2007. We were set to go out, but last minute negotiations ended up in a settlement. This is my 4th contract negotiation, and every time we have had a strike authorization vote, and every time it has passed with overwhelming support.”
After that vote Marshall responded, “Even during a time the State System and our universities are facing severe fiscal challenges, we remain determined to stay at the table with APSCUF to resolve the issues involved in these negotiations so that we can make additional progress toward a settlement that will assure our students have uninterrupted access to a high-quality, affordable education.
While we understand the vote moves the faculty union one step closer to being able to call a potential strike, we remain committed to bargaining with APSCUF to achieve an agreement that is fair to everyone,” said Marshall.
Contract negotiations continued between APSCUF and PASSHE over the weekend and this week.
Spiegel claims that negotiations with PASSHE is 100 percent confrontational.
“It is unnecessary and counterproductive. These people need to be our partners in providing the best possible education, but they consistently comport themselves as adversaries. I wish they would try it our way, just once,” said Spiegel. “Their proposals will do harm to the students, and alumni as well.”
In order to address concerns expressed by students during and following the strike authorization vote, APSCUF leadership at Kutztown University hosted a Get Answers Session on Kutztown campus on Monday, Sept. 19, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Alumni Plaza. During this event, faculty distributed a FAQ and a letter to students.
“Any and all inquiries will be fielded. There is no program, this is just an availability event where students can get answers from the leaders of our local,” said Spiegel. “We had a great event, speaking to hundreds of students as they walked to and from classes.”
Contract negotiations continued through Wednesday of this week, with additional sessions to come as needed, according to Marshall.
“To be clear, the State System is committed to staying at the table until an agreement is reached so that we can ensure our students’ education remains uninterrupted, which is our top priority,” Marshall said.
Faculty and coach contracts expired June 30, 2015. Negotiations have been ongoing since late 2014.
APSCUF represents about 5,500 faculty and coaches at the State System universities: Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania.
