APSCUF Colleagues,
It is now about 1:30 in the morning (July 1). The negotiations team finished this night at about 12:30 when PASSHE declared that they wanted to stop the process and start up in the morning at 9:30. Out team was quite surprised since we were hoping to bring this to a close one way or the other. We had been negotiating since 10:00 Am Saturday morning. We have worked on many of the articles, but have not reached final agreement on any of them. The approach is that it is a package, an all or nothing deal. Either everything falls into place or we have no deal.
While I cannot tell you the details of what we have discussed since everything can still change, I can tell you that it is still not clear that we will reach an agreement. We may well still be on strike on Monday morning.
I need to get some sleep, so I will say good night. Our team is meeting at 8:00 AM at the APSCUF office and I need to get some sleep.
Thanks for all th support. I have heard from many of you and it is because of the strength of the IUP faculty that has helped us to get through this process.
I also appreciate all the prep work that has been done by you the faculty and Bonnie to be ready incase a strike is called.
I should be back in Indiana tomorrow sometime and either will be able to tell you about our tentative agreement, or if talks break down, I will see you on the picket lines on Monday morning.
In Solidarity,
Rob
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June 30th, 2007 at 11:36 pm
Anonymous
Thank you for your continued hard work Rob Mutchnick. You and the entire Negotiations Team are to be commended for a difficult job well done.
We don’t know specifics and can only imagine, but we stand behind you 100%. We know you will not rest until we all get what we so rightfully deserve.
I can tell you also, from the folks at Edinboro, we FULLY support you and the ENTIRE Team. We are ready to shut down the ENTIRE University and the ENTIRE University System for as long as it takes. This administration won’t believe the picket actions we have planned for Edinboro until they see it. Finally, rest assured that the faculty at Edinboro are ready and willing to strike for AS LONG AS IT TAKES to REACH A FAIR SETTLEMENT.
Solidarity!
July 1st, 2007 at 10:38 am
Jon
As a student (PhD candidate) and future professor, I would like to thank you for your hard work in protecting the future of our profession. While fighting for fair salaries and benefits and preserving IUP’s competitiveness as an academic institution are indeed noble goals, the union’s struggle has more important, long term ramifications. In an era where universities and colleges are run more like major corporations and where a high value is placed on “the bottom line,” it is inspiring to see that issues such as class size, temporary faculty, distance learning, etc., are being addressed by the union. Good luck, and please realize that many students are supporting your struggle.
July 1st, 2007 at 1:58 pm
J Nilson
I cannot adequately put into words how proud I am of APSCUF for taking upon themselves this great struggle to uphold the notion of QUALITY in the PA State System of Higher Education. From my perspective as a current undergraduate student, this dispute is just as much about the students as it is about the faculty–many concerns of the union are also concerns of the student body (class size et al). Unless all of these issues are resolved, ESPECIALLY the issues shared between both faculty and student, the PASSHE may as well close its doors and quit before the Chancellor finds herself asking, “Where are we going? And why are we in this hand basket?”
As Jon said, the students are behind you, now go and fix this broken system!
July 2nd, 2007 at 10:29 am
Ready to Picket
As a faculty member who was here for the last contract negotiation, I wonder where the “promise” the state made last time has gone? We made MANY concessions last time, according to my recollection, largely due to the “promise” that we would be dealt with fairly this time. It is distressing and disheartening to realize there is no honor in the system, and I wonder, rather hopelessly, what the long term lack of honor in administration will do to the PASSHE. I commend APSCUF for taking a stand and I hope we will honor our “promise” of No contract/No work. Unlike management, we need to say what we mean and do what we say so that we can teach our students to sow seeds of honor in their futures rather than make promises they have no intention of keeping and “playing” today as if there we no such reality as “paying” tomorrow.