State university faculties threaten strike in October
The union representing professors at 14 state-owned universities, including California University of Pennsylvania, will walk off the job next month if it doesn’t reach a contract with the state System of Higher Education.
The announcement from the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties followed the fifth consecutive day of negotiations that ended with anger Wednesday when the union reached its 449th day without a contract with the state system, APSCUF said in a news release. The union said it would call a strike by Oct. 30 if talks continued to be disputed.
“Our negotiations team is convinced that the state system leadership wants a strike,” APSCUF President Kenneth M. Mash said.
The union and state system have been at odds over several issues, including the state system’s proposal to rely more on adjunct professors to teach classes and cuts in health insurance. The state has asked the state Labor Relations Board to select a fact-finder Friday to help both sides reach a nonbinding contract, while the union representing about 5,500 professors and coaches said Tuesday it wants negotiations to enter into binding arbitration.
The state system responded to the union Wednesday by stating it offered the faculty $159 million in pay raises during the marathon negotiations, state system spokesman Kenn Marshall said.
“We understand that a fair settlement with our faculty will include an increase in compensation, and we are willing to provide that,” said Marshall. “We also have a fiduciary responsibility to our students, taxpayers and the commonwealth to ensure we can pay for it.”
The state system faculty is among the highest paid in the nation, ranking in the top 10 to 15 percent among their peers at similar public colleges and universities, he said.
The average total earnings of a full-time faculty member at a state system university last year was just under $100,000, not including benefits, Marshall added.
Meanwhile, APSCUF said a strike training workshop will be held Saturday with its legislative assembly in Harrisburg.