State university faculty sets Oct. 19 as strike date
The president of Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties announced Friday the union will go on strike Oct. 19 if a contract agreement is not reached.
Dr. Kenneth M. Mash announced in a Facebook Live news conference by the faculty union representing 14 state-owned universities, including California University of Pennsylvania, the state Labor Relations Board rejected a fact-finding proposal from the State System as the union sought binding arbitration. Fact-finding would have delayed any strike by 40 days.
“I say it with a heavy heart, but if by Oct. 19 we don’t have a contract, we will go on strike,” Mash said, explaining there would be no limit to the length of a strike, which the union has never done. The union said earlier this week it would go on strike no later than Oct. 30 if no agreement was reached.
“The latest proposal from state system administrators went back on prior promises … they were talking about retrenchment and we were working on protection that would give a little more protection so universities couldn’t simply hold it over employees’ heads. Their latest proposal made it was worse and even ignored tenure,” Mash said.
As the announcement came, representatives for both the union and the State System administration pointed fingers at each other, saying the other organization wouldn’t meet at the bargaining table.
“We are unhappy when State System of Higher Education administrators say we are refusing to meet with them. We will not shy away from negotiating. We have always said a strike is the last resort,” Mash said.
A statement from State System spokesman Kenn Marshall said the union is falsely claiming state system administrators aren’t being serious.
“Even today, there is $159 million on the table for our faculty if APSCUF will help us find a way to partially offset those costs,” Marshall said, “We are committed to providing our faculty raises, but some cost savings are necessary to ensure the financial sustainability of the system.”
The proposal offered by Marshall said faculty would receive raises ranging from 7 to 17 percent over the life of a new contract. The contract proposal would reportedly be offset by cost savings of $70 million in changes in health care plan contributions.