Faculty members will go on strike Oct. 19, unless the
Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties and the
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education reach a contract agreement that
is fair to students and faculty. APSCUF will not strike if the State System
negotiates a fair contract.
President Dr. Kenneth M. Mash, flanked by APSCUF members,
announced the date this morning in a press conference that aired on Facebook
Live. Journalists also attended the event in person at Red Lion Hotel
Harrisburg Hershey in Swatara Township, Dauphin County.
“The State System has asked for tens of millions more in
concessions from faculty than they have from anyone else,” Mash said. “Faculty
offered a major healthcare concession, but the State System did not change
their offer. We sat with them for days, and they gave us a proposal that
purposely went backward. They are intent on hurting educational quality,
rewarding themselves while simultaneously cutting the salaries of our
lowest-paid members by 20 percent, and balancing their books off the backs of
their students and our faculty. We will not be a party to it. Period.”
The State System did not agree to APSCUF's proposal to
enter binding arbitration, during which a three-person panel could conclude the
contract dispute. Earlier this week, the State System sent APSCUF a formal
announcement that it wants to undergo nonbinding fact-finding with a
Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board arbitrator. The board has not yet decided
whether to grant the State System’s request. APSCUF prefers binding arbitration
because it would bring the entire matter to a conclusion, Mash said.
In the past week, APSCUF's negotiations team met five
days with the State System. Today and tomorrow, APSCUF leadership and delegate
members from all 14 State System campuses are meeting for the organization's
regularly scheduled legislative assembly in Harrisburg. When that concludes
Saturday, a strike-training workshop will commence. APSCUF plans to resume
talks with the State System in October, after these previously scheduled
events. APSCUF is waiting for the State System to respond to the five dates the
association offered to negotiate next.
“We will continue to go to the table in an earnest
attempt to negotiate a fair deal. It is time for the State System to do the
same,” Mash said. “The clock is ticking.”
APSCUF objects to State System proposals that would
affect the quality of education faculty members could provide to their
students. Such proposals would, among other issues:
-Increase the number of temporary faculty and lead to
reductions in permanent faculty who are devoted to their students.
-Allow students to be taught by new graduate students -
new college graduates - instead of faculty with advanced degrees.
-Cut funding for faculty scholarship and professional
development that allows faculty to bring current knowledge to students.
-Give university presidents unilateral authority to
transfer faculty members to other departments
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.
Source: We
Are Central PA
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