Faculty authorizes strike vote at state-run colleges
The union representing professors and coaches at Pennsylvania’s 14 state-owned universities, including California University of Pennsylvania, agreed Friday to move a strike vote to the floor today at its legislative assembly.
The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties’ delegates also met Friday to consider authorizing a strike before the end of this semester, union spokeswoman Kathryn Morton said.
She said the decision to move up the date of the strike vote “follows negative comments about APSCUF during last month’s House and Senate budget appropriations hearings, as well as a lack of progress during contract negotiations.”
She did not elaborate on what the negative comments entailed.
The union, which represents more than 6,000 employees, has been working under an expired contract for about a year, Morton said. The most recent negotiations were held Jan. 8, and the next session is slated for April 28.
The coaches and professors at the state system have never walked off the job.
The State System of Higher Education is “engaged in good faith negotiations with APSCUF” and “committed to continuing to do so until we reach an agreement,” state system spokesman Kenn Marshall said.
“We have offered the faculty virtually the same terms that our other unions already have accepted,” Marshall said.
He said the state system is facing challenging times and was surprised and disappointed with the call for a strike authorization vote.
“Still, we value our faculty and athletic coaches; they are the heart of our institutions,” Marshall said. “We would hope the union leadership would understand that and would continue negotiations rather than threaten to take steps that raise the prospect of a strike, which would be extremely damaging to our students, especially those who are planning for graduation in just a few weeks.”