University faculty union sets strike date
Faculty and coaches at 14 state-run universities, including California University of Pennsylvania, are set to strike Oct. 19 if contract negotiations are not resolved.
In a press conference Friday morning, the president of the faculty union announced the strike date after the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) did not tender a response to the union’s request for binding arbitration in the contract talks.
Dr. Kenneth M. Mash of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) said the two sides remain far apart after five days of meetings to discuss a new contract for faculty members, who have been working without a contract since June 2015.
Mash said at least a tentative agreement would need to be struck by Oct. 19 to avoid a strike.
“Our hope is that we never get to the point of being on strike,” said Mash. “We need (PASSHE Chancellor) Frank Brogan to tell his people to stop fooling around at the table and negotiate, and negotiate fairly.”
APSCUF said it plans to resume talks with PASSHE in October and is waiting for the state system to respond to five negotiation dates offered by the union.
In response to the scheduled strike, PASSHE has asked the union to return to the bargaining table next week and resume negotiations.
“We should be able to find a resolution through meaningful discussion, continued dialogue and reason. We can’t afford to stop meeting,” said PASSHE spokesman Kenn Marshall in a statement released Friday.
Marshall pointed out that PASSHE’s most recent contract proposal provides a $159 million increase for salaries, but that the union must help find a way to partially offset the costs.
“We are committed to providing our faculty raises, but some cost savings are necessary to ensure the financial sustainability of the system,” said Marshall.
According to PASSHE, the raises could be provided in exchange for health care plan changes and other contractual changes that would help needed cost savings of about $70 million.
Mash said the union rejected the contract due to a number of givebacks requested by PASSHE that would negate any raises.
“They want to talk about salaries, but they don’t mention the amount of givebacks that they’re asking for,” Mash said. “They float that number, but what they aren’t talking about is $70-90 million that they want to take off backs of faculty to balance books.”
The union proposed earlier this week that the two sides enter binding arbitration that would employ a three-person panel to resolve negotiations. It gave PASSHE until Friday to accept or decline the offer.
PASSHE did not respond to the request, Mash said.
That offer was made after the state system announced it intended to undergo fact-finding with a Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board arbitrator.
Mash said PASSHE’s request for fact-finding was rejected by the board and that the union would file an unfair labor practice charge against PASSHE for unfair bargaining.
The union objects to several proposals made by the state system during contract negotiations that would affect the quality of education faculty members could provide to their students, including using more adjunct faculty in place of permanent faculty members, using students with few graduate credits to teach courses, and cutting the lowest-paid faculty members’ salaries by 20 percent.
The union said it will hold a strike-training workshop this weekend following its regularly scheduled legislative assembly.