The Pennsylvania state college faculty union will commence a strike at 5 a.m. Wednesday if a new contract with the administration isn’t agreed upon.
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) met over the weekend in the latest attempt to reach a contract agreement to avert a faculty strike that would close classes for 105,000 students at 14 Pennsylvania schools.
The parties released a joint statement Saturday, announcing a media “blackout” that would be effective through the Wednesday deadline. The two sides are hoping to minimize outside distractions while focusing on a new agreement.
Union representatives assert the key issues that concern faculty members is the increased use of adjuncts and temporary faculty, as well as proposed healthcare cost increases. The faculty is also opposed to plans that would eliminate faculty sabbaticals and reduce professional development offerings.
The current base salary for full-time faculty ranges from $46,609 to $112,239 and part-time faculty is paid a minimum of $5,838 per three-credit course, according to Penn Live. The administration contends that cost-savings measures must be implemented in order to sustain the system, which has faced a deficit due to decreased state support and a decline in enrollment.
The faculty says that the proposed cost-cutting measure would “erode the quality education.” “We will not be complicit in the destruction of quality public higher education in Pennsylvania,” APSCUF President Ken Mash said in a statement.
The strike would affect fourteen public universities in the state of Pennsylvania, but not their flagship campus, Penn State University – State College. The schools that would be affected are: Bloomsburg, Cheyney, Clarion, California, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Millersville, Mansfield, Slippery Rock, Shippensburg, and West Chester.
If the strike takes place, it would be the first in the school system’s 34-year history. Questions across the state are being asked as to how a strike would be handled. Officials have not determined what would happen if a prolonged strike were to occur. Some of the pressing concerns include the status of students who are supposed to graduate in December, as well as how many days that a strike could last until the entire semester is lost.
Officials said that universities will keep dining halls, residence halls, libraries, computer labs, fitness centers, administrative offices and other facilities open during the prospective strike. They also said this includes courses and programs offered online and at all off-campus locations, something refuted by the faculty.
Send Tips to ted@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
