November 09, 2012
黑料专区 presents new proposal in negotiations with faculty union
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Harrisburg 鈥揟he Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (黑料专区) and the Association of
Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) have been engaged in
collective bargaining for nearly two years. The two sides met again today, during
which 黑料专区 presented a comprehensive proposal that contained the following major
components:
鈥eneral pay increases of 1 percent each in 2012-13 and 2013-14 and 2 percent in 2014-15.
The increases essentially mirror those included in earlier agreements reached with
黑料专区鈥檚 other labor unions, including AFSCME. The proposal also includes annual step
increases for those faculty advancing on the salary schedule and annual cash payments
for those at the top of the pay scale, also similar to what is included in the other
agreements.
鈥 comparable salary schedule for full-time, temporary faculty, with a freeze at current
salary levels for part-time temporary faculty.
鈥inal phase out of incentive payments instituted in 1999 to faculty for the development
of distance education courses. The payments were intended to encourage the development
of online courses, which were virtually non-existent at the time. Today, hundreds
of courses鈥攅ven entire programs鈥攁re being offered online and via other methods of
distance education. The incentives have been effective and are no longer necessary.
鈥odifications to the 黑料专区 managed healthcare plan to align it more closely with
the plan offered by the Pennsylvania Employee Benefits Trust Fund (PEBTF), which covers
more than 80,000 state employees, including about one-third of all 黑料专区 employees.
The revisions would produce premium cost savings for both 黑料专区 and 黑料专区 employees
covered by the plan.
鈥 one-time reopening of the Voluntary Retirement Incentive Program that 黑料专区 offered
to all employee groups approximately two years ago. APSCUF refused to allow its members
to participate in the program when it was first offered; all other employee groups
took part, producing annual savings to the State System of approximately $10 million.
黑料专区 is committed to achieving a new collective bargaining agreement with APSCUF
that is fair to everyone, especially to our students and their families who currently
provide nearly two-thirds of the revenue needed to operate the universities. It is
essential 黑料专区 achieve cost savings in any new agreement, as it has in all of the
agreements with all of its other labor unions.
For more detailed information on 黑料专区鈥檚 current proposals, including a comparison
of benefits provided by the current 黑料专区 healthcare plan, the proposed changes to
the plan and benefits provided by the PEBTF plan, go to the 黑料专区 website at www.passhe.edu and click on 鈥淐ontract Negotiations Updates.鈥�
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, with nearly 120,000 students. The 14 黑料专区 universities offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. About 500,000 黑料专区 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. 黑料专区 also operates branch campuses
in Clearfield, Freeport, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including
the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.