Category Archive

MEMORANDUM

TO: All Faculty Members and Coaches

FROM: Patricia I. Heilman
President

DATE: June 26, 2007

RE: Thomas Krapsho’s Letter Dated June 22, 2007
____________________________________________________________________________

By now, I am sure you have received the menacing letter from Mr. Thomas M. Krapsho of the Chancellor’s Office. Mr. Krapsho’s scare tactics are transparent, outrageous and illegal. His letter contains quite a few misrepresentations and outright threats which, State APSCUF believes, constitute unfair labor practices upon which we plan to take action. APSCUF’s Legal Counsel has filed an unfair labor practice charge based on this letter which could have significant implications for contract negotiations and our strike plans.

APSCUF believes that the following positions will be upheld by the labor board and the courts:

1. Faculty on 26 pays for the 9-month academic year should continue to be paid whether or not there is a strike. This is pay for work that they have already performed.

2. Faculty who have worked the 9-month academic year and plan to return in the fall (this means all tenured and tenure track faculty and some temporary full-time faculty) have earned their fringe benefit coverage, including their health care benefits, for the entire summer. They should continue to receive those benefits whether or not they go on strike.

3. Only faculty who actually have summer assignments – those who are working summer school and 12-month faculty – should lose any summer pay, and then only for the actual number of days that they are on strike. We believe that Mr. Krapsho’s threat to withhold all summer school pay, even for days already worked, is clearly illegal. This is one of the subjects addressed in our unfair practice charge.

Some of Mr. Krapsho’s threats appear to illustrate PASSHE’s desperation. For example, point #8 of his letter states, “No medical or dependent care account reimbursements for expenses incurred by a striking faculty member will be made through the flexible spending account program.” Has Mr. Krapsho forgotten that the money deposited into those accounts is, in fact, the faculty members’ and coaches’ money and not the PASSHE’s? I would like to know why Mr. Krapsho believes that money deposited into what is essentially a savings account would not be available to the depositors in the event of a strike. This statement simply makes no sense and

was clearly placed in the document to interfere with and elicit fear of striking among our bargaining unit members.

The fact that Mr. Krapsho felt it was necessary to issue this kind of letter is a good indicator of the pressure and anxiety our collective activity is causing the Chancellor’s Office. As the Chancellor’s Office begins to show its true colors, now, more than ever, it is time to stand up to Mr. Krapsho’s bullying tactics and demonstrate our solidarity, our support of the Faculty and Coaches Negotiation Teams and our commitment to a fair contract.

HARRISBURG – Contract talks aimed at achieving a new collective bargaining agreement for approximately 350 coaches in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) are set to resume on June 18. The current pact for the coaches, who are represented by APSCUF, expires on June 30. Athletic directors and athletic trainers fall under the APSCUF Faculty Agreement which also is set to expire on June 30.

Failure to arrive at a new deal on time could result in a strike and the cancellation of many popular and lucrative summer camps. Lucrative because many of the summer camps generate the necessary income to sustain various athletic programs for the subsequent school year, including student-athlete scholarship money, a primary recruitment tool. APSCUF questions whether a ‘snowball affect’ would occur if summer athletic camps are affected by a strike: Recruitment of top student-athletes and even gender equity issues could arise later on if athletic department income is affected.

APSCUF also questions the safety and the liability issues that could arise if the Universities host summer camps without the professional direction of the athletic directors, athletic trainers, and coaches.

“As is the case with the faculty bargaining, APSCUF is doing everything possible to try and achieve a settlement,” State APSCUF President Pat Heilman said. “Our coaches value their student-athletes and the young athletes who visit our campuses every summer. They want only the best for the kids, but they also must look out for the interests of their own families as well.”

To use a sports analogy, the coaches’ contract talks are coming to the two-minute warning,” Heilman said. “It’s time to get serious and negotiate a settlement.”

Kevin P. Kodish
Director of Communications
APSCUF
319 North Front Street
PO Box 11995
Harrisburg, PA 17108-1995
Phone: 800-932-0587, ext. 3020
Fax: 717-236-1883
email: kkodish@apscuf.org

APSCUF Colleagues,

I have received a number of questions related to rumors regarding a strike (should one become necessary). I thought I would take this opportunity to address some of them directly with you so you know the facts.

Rumor # 1 - If I have signed a summer contract to teach over the summer, that summer contract binds me to continue teaching if a strike is called.

Fact # 1 - The Collective Bargaining Agreement supersedes all other contracts, including summer contracts. If we were to strike, faculty would NOT be required to fulfill their summer contracts. I have checked this with two of our labor attorneys and have been assured that this is a factual statement.

Rumor # 2 - I can hold my classes off campus instead of on-campus.

Fact # 2 - NO, this would not only present liability issues for you and for the University, it would be viewed by management as a lack of solidarity and could increase the length of a strike and damage our power to insist on a reasonable settlement.

Rumor # 3 - Since I am not teaching in July, and the strike begins on July 1, I am not technically on strike.

Fact # 3 - If a strike occurs, Management is responsible for determining who is on strike and who isn’t. APSCUF expects the entire faculty to participate in the strike is one is called. If you don’t participate in the strike, you are hurting your colleagues and probably prolonging the strike. Also, you are telling management that you accept 0,0,0,0 for across-the-board pay increases, as well as tripling of your health insurance premium co-share.

As other rumors surface, I will attempt to address them.

We need every faculty member to participate should a strike occur. While we have heard from many of you, there are still some we have not heard from as to your availability for strike activities. Please contact us via email so we can complete the creation of our data base. We need cell phone numbers, home phone numbers, availability for picketing, and willingness to serve on other committees such as transportation, communication, sign making, creature comforts, and headquarters.

You can let me know you availability and information by emailing me at rjmutch@iupapscuf.org

In solidarity,
Rob Mutchnick