IUP-APSCUF Blog

Dear APSCUF Colleagues,

As most of you know, it has been a hectic summer in terms of what has happened with our contract.  As a member of the negotiations team, I was very involved with the whole process and would like to share with you my position as it relates to the agreement on which you will soon be voting.

I was very concerned about the tentative agreement that the negotiations team was considering on the 2^nd of July. I voted NO on accepting and recommending the agreement to the State APSCUF Executive Council. I realize that the salary and health benefits package is appealing to those still on steps. However, there are other articles and side letters in the contract that make the overall future of the academy bleak to say the least. Listed below is a sampling of the articles and side letters that cause me to NOT recommend the agreement:

1)      The agreement allows management to hire temporary faculty in numbers equal to the number of full-time tenure track faculty. Right now, 23% of the IUP faculty is temporary. Under the new agreement, this could more than double to 50% with no controls. Management could hire and rehire temporary faculty members for an unlimited time period without being required to convert these positions to tenure track lines.

2)      The 2003 promoted faculty were not made whole as was indicated.  As you may recall, this was a top priority by the membership.

3)      Domestic partner benefits were agreed upon for same-sex partners only, leaving out opposite-sex partners.

4)      Closing of the indemnity health care option to new enrollees and, eventually, phasing out this plan, thereby reducing health care options for the membership

5)      Raising health care premium percentage that members pay in the fourth year of the contract, when overall rates do not justify increases (we have, in fact, saved the state money with the Health Care Cost Containment Committee).

6)      Changes in the distance education article that remove almost all incentives for faculty members to participate.  In addition, those faculty members who do participate will receive nothing in return.

7)      IUP grievances related to distance education, which impacts over 100 IUP faculty members, were withdrawn even though IUP-APSCUF strongly objected to this.

8)      Rank and tenure for managers, in and of itself, is not necessarily bad.  However, we gave

it away for absolutely nothing. When we were negotiating this item, we stipulated that the           price tag for it had to be summer school at current rates. The outcome–we received    nothing for this.

I strongly recommend that we vote NOT to accept the tentative agreement. If the tentative agreement is NOT ratified, we DO NOT have to strike. We can, and should, go back to the table to continue negotiations.

In Solidarity,

Rob Mutchnick

PASSHE, APSCUF reach tentative agreement on new faculty contract
Four-year pact would run through June 30, 2011

Harrisburg - The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) have reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract with the approximately 5,500 faculty at the 14 state-owned universities.

The tentative agreement, which must be ratified by both the union membership and PASSHE’s Board of Governors before taking effect, would run through June 30, 2011. It would replace the previous contract, which expired Saturday.

The agreement was reached after five straight days of negotiations. It was announced today by PASSHE Chancellor Judy G. Hample, APSCUF President Pat Heilman and Governor Edward G. Rendell.

“This agreement strikes a fair balance between the legitimate salary requirements of the faculty and the pocketbooks of parents across the state who are scrimping to send their children to college,” Governor Rendell said. “It is an affordable contract that sends a clear message that we are doing all we can to support and retain our faculty. As a result, we are improving the reputation of our great public colleges.”

“These were difficult negotiations, which, toward the end, threatened to disrupt the education of our students,” Dr. Hample said. “Our ultimate goal was to reach a settlement that guarantees our faculty members are well compensated and our students continue to receive an excellent education at an affordable price, and we achieved that goal.”

“After five days of continuous negotiations we have a tentative agreement that, I believe, will begin to improve our compensation package,” Dr. Heilman said. “This should, in turn, increase PASSHE’s ability to recruit and retain high-quality faculty. Our next task should be to devise jointly a negotiations process that allows for a more timely settlement in the future.”

The tentative agreement provides for a one-time cash payment of $1,750 to each full-time faculty member, plus general pay increases of 3 percent each in 2008-09 and 2009-10 and 4 percent in 2010-11. In addition to the general pay increases, faculty not at the top of the salary schedule will receive annual service increments of 2.5 percent or 5 percent each year. The most senior faculty will receive a cash payment equal to 2.5 percent of their salary in the final year of the agreement.

The faculty’s contribution to their healthcare premium would increase from the current rate of 10 percent to 15 percent by the final year of the agreement. Faculty also would be required to participate in a new wellness program, or their premium co-payment would increase to as much as 25 percent.

Other terms of the new pact will be released upon ratification. The union membership will be the first to vote on the new pact, followed by the Board of Governors.

With more than 109,000 students, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth.  The 14 PASSHE universities offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study.  Approximately 405,000 PASSHE alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.

The state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. PASSHE also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Freeport, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.

HARRISBURG – Negotiators representing APSCUF and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) remain in session at this hour, hoping to reach a new agreement for the 5,500 faculty members at the state’s 14 state-owned universities.  Today’s session comes on the heels of 35 hours of negotiations from Friday-Sunday.

If the two sides fail to reach a settlement this afternoon, the first faculty strike in the history of the PASSHE could begin as early as tomorrow.

“The State APSCUF Executive Council will meet this evening in Harrisburg, and the council will make its decision following a status report from the faculty bargaining team,” State APSCUF President Pat Heilman said.

Regarding the ending of Sunday’s contract talks, Heilman wanted to correct the characterization portrayed in some news accounts.

“Yes, APSCUF did leave the PASSHE headquarters late Sunday afternoon,” Heilman said.  “But, the last transaction of the day was APSCUF’s presentation of a proposal to the PASSHE.”

“Some members of the media have reported that the union rejected the PASSHE’s last offer and left the premises.  What actually happened was APSCUF presented a counter-proposal, waited a while for a response, and then left the building.  It’s apparent that any significant movement the PASSHE makes must be approved by an external source – something like the man behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz!  This slows the bargaining process to a crawl.”

Heilman added that APSCUF is still hoping to secure a fair agreement for its members, and that the organization added today as a bargaining day in consideration of the students that will be adversely affected by a strike.

In the interest of students at the 14 state-owned universities, APSCUF decided Sunday afternoon to honor the request of the state mediator to delay any job action for 24 hours. This comes on the heels of four days of intense negotiations. The current contract expired at midnight on Saturday. Classes will continue as scheduled on Monday, July 2.

APSCUF submitted a counter-proposal two hours before the close of negotiations Sunday, but the PASSHE declined to respond.  Citing modest movement in the talks, APSCUF leadership felt that cutting off talks at this moment would be counterproductive. “This is the first time in decades that literally just a few hours after a contract expired there was even a possibility of a settlement,” said Francisco Alarcon, Vice President of the IUP chapter of APSCUF. “This is largely thanks to the leadership of state APSCUF President Pat Heilman, who began to push the state to negotiate more than a year and a half ago.”

At the request of the mediator, an additional negotiation session is taking place Monday at a neutral location.

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

Harrisburg - The negotiations teams met all evening. Talks will resume tomorrow morning.

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.”

FIRST DAY OF THREE-DAY BARGAINING SESSION YIELDS NO TANGIBLE RESULTS; APSCUF ISSUES FULL PROPOSAL
 

HARRISBURG – If the rate of progress achieved in the first day of this week’s bargaining sessions between APSCUF and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) does not markedly improve today and Saturday, prospects for a new collective bargaining agreement do not look very favorable.

On Thursday, APSCUF presented a complete package proposal to the PASSHE.  APSCUF’s document covered all articles of the contract under discussion in an attempt to stimulate meaningful dialogue in a number of areas.  The APSCUF negotiators ended the day disappointed with the results.

“Our team is interested in having intensive discussions on the elements that will bring this contract process to a positive conclusion.  On Thursday, the PASSHE accepted our contract document but was only willing to discuss non-economic, peripheral issues that certainly have value but are secondary in nature when one looks at the total scope of the talks,” State APSCUF President Pat Heilman said.

“The items the PASSHE selected were those of interest to Management, indicating again, how one-sided these negotiations have been,” Heilman noted.  “It’s always about them, which explains why they have the students in such a vise this summer.”

“The faculty are doing everything possible to reach a settlement.  If the PASSHE team is willing to adopt the same attitude, we can achieve a fair contract.  We have two full days remaining to accomplish that goal.”

The current pact expires at midnight on Saturday.  Failure to reach a new deal for the 5,500 faculty members at the state’s 14 state-owned universities could lead to the first faculty strike in the history of the PASSHE.

“That distinction (the first to strike) certainly is not what the faculty wants, but the PASSHE’s mission is to provide a high quality education to the citizens of this Commonwealth.  We believe that quality is at risk, and we owe it to our students to achieve a contract that will enable us to attract and retain top-notch faculty members,” Heilman said.

“Our students pay good money for their education, and Pennsylvania needs to put its best foot forward.  Our universities have experienced a surge in stature since the PASSHE was born in 1983.  The faculty believes in offering our students the best education possible, and that means securing a contract that enables the PASSHE to bring in that first choice in a faculty search.  We should be competing for the best minds because our students deserve just that.”

Heilman indicated that students, particularly those taking summer classes, should contact the PASSHE at feedback@passhe.edu, or the governor at governor@state.pa.us if they would like to have their voices heard.  Students are also welcome to email APSCUF at kkodish@apscuf.org.

PASSHE, APSCUF reach tentative agreement on new contract with coaches
New pact would run through June 30, 2011

Harrisburg - The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) have reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract with the approximately 350 athletic coaches at the 14 state-owned universities.

Although several elements of the final deal will not be addressed until the current PASSHE/APSCUF faculty contract negotiations are concluded, the tentative agreement with APSCUF would provide all full-time coaches with a one-time cash payment of $1,250 at the beginning of the 2007-08 academic year, as well as annual increases of 2.25 percent in January of each of the four years covered by the pact. It also would provide for additional increases based on merit in the second, third and fourth years of the agreement, and would increase the minimum salary for head coaches from $35,000 to $37,500 and for assistant coaches from $30,000 to $32,500 beginning in July 2009.
Coaches would continue to pay an amount equal to 1 percent of their annual salary for healthcare coverage in the first year of the new agreement. That amount would increase to 1.5 percent in 2008-09, to 2 percent in 2009-10 and to 3 percent in 2010-11, although the amount could be reduced each year for those who participate in a wellness program, if such a program is created.

The tentative agreement with the coaches must be ratified by both the union membership and the PASSHE Board of Governors before taking effect.

With more than 109,000 students, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth. The 14 PASSHE universities offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Approximately 405,000 PASSHE alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.
The state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. PASSHE also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Freeport, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.

Contact: Kenn Marshall, (717) 720-4054 or (717) 329-0809 and Kevin Kodish, 1-800-932-0587, ext. 6

PASSHE’S CURRENT PROPOSAL WOULD SERIOUSLY DAMAGE FACULTY RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION EFFORTS

HARRISBURG - Many uncertainties must be ironed out as both sides prepare for the resumption of contract talks for 5,500 faculty members at Pennsylvania 14 State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) universities. Bargaining resumed Thursday morning in Harrisburg.

No individual contract articles have been approved to date, and the PASSHE’s description of their salary proposal is not being met with smiles at APSCUF headquarters.

“Last Saturday, the PASSHE issued a news release claiming that faculty salaries would be ‘extremely competitive’ under the system’s latest proposal. In reality, the faculty would lose money and faculty members would be leaving in droves if we accepted that proposal,” State APSCUF President Pat Heilman said.

The PASSHE is proposing the following:

2007-08: $1,250 bonus payment in the fall, and a step increment in the spring.
2008-09: 2% general pay increase in the fall, and a step increment in the spring.
2009-10: 2% general pay increase in the fall, and a step increment in the spring.
2010-11: 3% general pay increase in the fall, and a step increment in the spring.

Along with those figures, the PASSHE is also proposing an increase in the health benefit premium payment percentage in the final three years of the four-year pact, from 10% of premium costs to 30% in the final year of the contract.

“You have to remember that those health benefit premiums are going to rise each year and would cost the faculty more money. In fact, our health care consultant estimates a 10% increase in the premium cost in 2008-09, 8.5% in 2009-10, and 10.5% in 2010-11. That would dilute salary increases for faculty.”

A faculty member currently paying $1,200 in annual premium payments (10% of $12,000) would see that cost balloon to $4,747 (30% of estimated $15,825) by the end of the contract.

Heilman also criticized the delaying of the step increments each year.

“The annual step increments have existed for faculty at our institutions for many, many years - even before the advent of collective bargaining in 1971,” Heilman noted. “Faculty members who were below the maximum always received an annual increment. Those at the top of the scale only received the across-the-board general pay increases. We operate on academic years, and the steps were always awarded at the beginning of the year (fall semester). The move to January makes no sense for an employee group where 98.9% begin their employment in the fall.”

The current collective bargaining agreement broke with the step tradition, as no faculty members received steps in the first year or third years of the pact. Now, the PASSHE is proposing that the step increments are granted in the spring of each year rather than the fall.

“On the average, faculty salaries will increase only 11.7% under the PASSHE’s proposal,” Heilman observed. “However, 3.3% of that increase would be offset by increased health care costs, resulting in an 8.4% increase over four years.

Then, Heilman said, inflation would take its bite of the increase.

“During the same time period, we expect to see inflation rates of 4.6%, 3.5%, 3.5%, and 3.5%. Thus, adjusting for inflation, the faculty salaries would be MINUS 6.7% of purchasing power over the contract period. Please forgive us for not greeting this proposal with open arms.”

“There’s lots of room for improvement in the PASSHE’s proposal. The future quality of the PASSHE hangs in the balance,” Heilman concluded.