The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) went into another round of talks Sunday with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) administration without setting a strike date.
Unionized coaches voted to authorize a strike last week, with 94 percent of voting members in favor of the authorization, according to an APSCUF press release. Faculty cast their votes two weeks ago and 93 percent of participating members supported the strike authorization.
Faculty members and coaches cast separate votes to authorize a strike, hold separate talks and can set strike dates apart from each other. The coaches do not plan to set a strike before their next negotiations, which will be held on Sept. 26, said John Gump, executive leader of coaching members.
APSCUF President Kenneth Mash said Wednesday the faculty will not set a strike date until the leadership has at least one more session at the bargaining table. Though talks between the union and state system were held without progress on Friday, APSCUF held back from setting a date, according to an APSCUF press release.
PASSHE administrators and faculty union leadership are continuing talks that occurred Sunday to Wednesday, according to PASSHE media relations manager Kenn Marshall.
“For the second time in three days, the state system’s negotiating team met with APSCUF to continue working toward an agreement that recognizes both the value of our talented faculty and the unprecedented fiscal challenges of our universities,” Marshall said, in a statement released Sunday. “At our request, the teams are scheduled to continue meeting through Wednesday of this week (Sept. 19), with additional sessions to come as needed.”
The latest round of talks included subjects such as faculty pay and healthcare changes, among other items, Marshall said.
Faculty members are concerned largely with: the increased use of temporary faculty instead of permanent faculty; forcing on-campus students into distance education sections; giving university presidents authority to transfer faculty members to other departments and several other issues, according to an APSCUF press release.
“We will go to the table as many times as it takes to reach a contract that preserves quality for our students and is fair to faculty,” Mash said. “If setting a date will encourage the state system to get serious about negotiation, we will do just that.”
The Slate welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.