APSCUF/PASSHE BEGIN FINAL DAY OF BARGAINING; SIDES STILL FAR APART
HARRISBURG – With one day of talks remaining, the APSCUF and Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) bargaining teams have a lot of ground to cover in order to reach a new agreement for the 5,500 faculty members at the state’s 14 state-owned universities.
Should the two sides fail to reach a settlement, the first faculty strike in the history of the PASSHE is very likely to occur. The State APSCUF Executive Council will ultimately make the decision following a status report from the faculty bargaining team.
“Since February of 2006, when we notified the PASSHE that we were interested in negotiating a new deal a year in advance of the expiration of this contract, we have been interested in negotiating a fair settlement,” State APSCUF President Pat Heilman said.
“Over the past several years, the faculty in our system have had to swallow hard and accept substandard contracts. Very good educators have left our system, and countless others have politely declined offers to teach here because our package just doesn’t measure up to other offers,” Heilman noted.
“It is time that our faculty are recognized for the fine job they do educating our Pennsylvania students. We need a contract that stops the exodus of quality faculty and enables us to recruit outstanding candidates. We are Pennsylvania’s own institutions educating Pennsylvania children – our kids deserve the best instruction. They are Pennsylvania’s future!”
PASSHE faculty members have earned doctorates, and it takes many years to amass the necessary credentials to teach college students. Along the way, faculty incur a lot of debt while sacrificing years of possible earnings.
The ‘Managerial Advantage’
Managers in the PASSHE do not have to worry about terms of a collective bargaining agreement, and they have not experienced the sheer loss of purchasing power like their faculty counterparts.
For instance, from 2002-2007, the average raise for a manager earning a promotion was 23.4%. When a faculty member is promoted, the increase for that new rank is capped at 10%.
The amount of the increase isn’t the only place where a large disparity in promotion data. The pure amount of promotions is also way out of balance.
The most recent data show that 222 (of over 5,000) faculty members received promotions last year. This computes to about 4%. On the management side, 113 managers out of just 1300 were granted promotions – about 8.6%.
“Good managers are certainly important for a system to function effectively,” Heilman said. “But it’s the professors who guide students toward their degrees and their careers.”
Heilman noted the tough job facing faculty today, and urged the PASSHE to do what is right for quality.
“Overall workloads have increased and we are instructing more students than ever before. It is time for the PASSHE to step up to the plate and deliver for its faculty. Act 188 of 1982 created an autonomous university system, and the Board of Governors has the authority to negotiate its own contract with its faculty.”