WEST CHESTER Faculty and athletic coaches in the state-owned system of higher education, including West Chester University and Cheyney University, moved one step closer to a strike Thursday after the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) announced faculty members could cast votes to authorize a strike from September 7-9, and athletic coaches from September 14-15.
Advertisement
Students packing up to head off to a state university are being told that classes will start on Monday regardless of whether the faculty union decides to hold a strike authorization vote. If approved by the union’s full membership, APSCUF leadership could call for a walkout at any time.
“The State System is proud of the fact that our faculty are compensated so well, but we also acknowledge that rising tuition is putting a strain on students and their families”, it said.”As such, we are committed to reaching an agreement that is fair to everyone-faculty and students”.
The faculty and coaches are represented under separate APSCUF contracts, both of which expired June 30, 2015.
System officials noted that, although the union has authorized a strike in each of the last four rounds of contract negotiations, a faculty strike has never occurred in the system’s 33-year history.
Fall classes are scheduled to begin on Monday. This fiscal year, the system anticipates a $10 million deficit even before any salary increases or new benefit costs would be added for faculty, Marshall said.
The current base salary for full-time faculty ranges from $46,609 to $112,239. “We would hope the [union] leadership understands, as we do, the devastating impact a strike would have on students and their futures, as well as on the universities”. Salary has not yet been discussed by the bargaining teams.
The State System negotiates a single contract for all faculty who work at the 14 state-owned universities. “We don’t know what the State System gains by continually creating distractions”.
Late Thursday afternoon, the system announced that it had offered faculty cash payments of $600 this year and raises in the next two in exchange for givebacks in health insurance and an increase in the teaching load for temporary faculty.
“At some point, we need a contract”.
The State System said that “it has been bargaining in good faith for almost two years” with APSCUF in hopes of adopting a new contract.
Advertisement
The 14 universities include the campuses of Bloomsburg, Kutztown, Millersville and Shippensburg.
