In preparation for a possible faculty strike Kutztown chapter of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties union moved its office off the Kutztown University campus Oct. 13.
“Hopefully we won’t need to use it but we have to be prepared,” said Amanda Morris, Kutztown APSCUF chapter president.
The chapter will rent the space a week at a time. APSCUF is scheduled to go into negotiations Oct. 14 to 16 with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education regarding a new faculty contract. PASSHE faculty have been working without a contract for more than one year. APSCUF announced that if the two parties cannot agree on a fair contract by Oct. 19, APSCUF will strike. APSCUF plans to announce whether a strike will be held at 5 a.m. on Oct. 19 at apscuf.org. If a strike does occur, faculty will be picketing all across campus from about 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
While the office was being boxed up and moved from an Old Main office to 206 North Whiteoak Street in Kutztown, faculty members painted strike signs and handed out flyers to students.
Morris said they wanted to dispel any rumors and address students’ concerns. Some of the rumors that were dispelled included students losing federal financial aid if they don’t go to class during the strike and another that students wouldn’t be able to graduate on time.
“I really don’t think any of these possibilities have a high probability of happening. Anything is possible but the probability of these things happening is very low. It’s not in the System’s best interest; it’s not in the students’ best interest, it’s not in our best interest,” said Morris. “I want our students to understand that we really are trying to protect the quality of their degrees. This taking a stand on these issues that are embedded in the contract and what the State System wants, it’s our way of protecting the quality of their degrees and their experience here.”
Morris said their primary interest is getting a contract. She hopes that they achieve that goal during negotiations over the weekend.
“We have to be prepared to walk out on Wednesday (Oct. 19) and we are prepared,” said Morris. “I would like nothing more for the strike to be averted. We can all go back to concentrating on our students, helping them get what they need before the end of the semester, for their graduation, for their careers. That’s why we’re here teaching.”
Talking to students, Morris said, “Don’t worry. Remember, your faculty have your back.”
Morris anticipates that any time lost to a strike would likely be made up on weekends and evenings, like they have in the past for bad winter weather.
Several students stopped to talk about the eminent strike.
“A lot of the things they are addressing should be addressed,” said Dezyiree Miller, a junior social work major.
Freshman Lauren Savoy, studying a double major of math and physics, said PASSHE Chancellor Frank Brogan’s live webcast on Oct. 4 was a disaster.
“He was very condescending. He did nothing to ease the minds of faculty or students and left most of us in more distress,” said Savoy, noting that while the caption of the Chancellor’s video stated he would answer student questions, she felt he did not answer questions. “He talked about himself. He was reading off a teleprompter.”
Savoy said she has written to Brogan.
Regarding a possible strike, Savoy said, “I think it’s really disappointing on the state’s end because our teachers are still working on expired contracts, (they’re working) just as hard as they were before.”
There are 469 faculty members on KU’s campus, of which not all are union members. Faculty will have the choice whether or not to join in the strike. APSCUF printed 800 copies of a flyer that was handed out to students, most of which were gone within the first hour set up at Alumni Plaza, talking to students between classes.
“Their first and foremost concern was always the students. How is this going to affect their education? And how they were going to do the best they could for the students,” said State APSCUF organizer Christopher Ayayla who was visiting Kutztown University in preparation for the strike.
APSCUF-Kutztown Spokesperson Dan Spiegel, KU Computer Science professor talked about APSCUF’s concerns over PASSHE’s proposals that include increasing the number of temporary faculty, adjunct professors.
“They want to make being an adjunct an overworked and underpaid profession here. All universities have adjuncts. Do we want good adjuncts or do we want the bottom of the barrel?” said Spiegel. “We don’t have (bottom of the barrel adjuncts) now. If those proposals are implemented we’ll start getting them.”
Spiegel told one student, “You’re paying a lot of money for your education. I’m a college professor… This is a university. Universities are more than just going to class. Knowledge is supposed to come out of universities. We have scholars here. We publish papers. Temporary faculty don’t have time to publish papers. We bring acclaim to our institutions. We have a great reputation.”
Increasing the number of temporary faculty he said would degrade the quality of the education, he said. Adjuncts typically have less experience in the field and in the classroom, while full professors have experience working in their field and in the classroom. Also, adjunct professors do not advise students and cannot give students letters of recommendation.
Spiegel said moving their office off campus is one of the last actions before going on strike.
Communication design professor Kevin McCloskey, who has been working at KU for 28 years, is also concerned about the proposals regarding adjunct professors. While satisfied with his own pay as a full professor, McCloskey said, “These new faculty get paid so little it’s unfair to ask them to do more for less and then say they don’t have to do any research or service to the university.”
He said Kutztown University professors teach really bright and talented students.
“For a lot of people college is the best place to grow and get careers, to build their lives. It’s a university. They’re learning how to become better citizens. I’ll be out walking the line to set a good example for the students.”
Concluding his thoughts, McCloskey said, “I hope we don’t strike.”
PASSHE reported that it has updated its negotiations website with an expanded list of frequently asked questions received from students over the past week.
“We want our students, their parents and the public to have as much information as possible about these negotiations and the potential strike that has been announced by the faculty union,” said State System spokesman Kenn Marshall. “We are eager to return to the bargaining table to continue working with the faculty union to finalize an agreement. We have informed APSCUF that we are ready to stay at the table to make it happen. We must remain at the table until we reach a deal. Our students deserve nothing less.”
In an attempt to narrow the focus of negotiations and to move the two sides closer to an agreement, the System has made a number of revisions to the comprehensive proposal it presented to APSCUF in June, even withdrawing some suggested provisions the union opposed. The two sides have reached tentative agreement on a variety of issues related to performance reviews and evaluation of faculty, workload and workload equivalents, unpaid educational leaves and teaching at locations off campus.
