The union that represents faculty at the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education's 14 universities has overwhelmingly approved a tentative contract, with more than 95 percent of voting members supporting it.
A simple majority vote was needed to ratify the contract, which now goes to the PASSHE board of governors for a vote in the coming weeks.
“Faculty members at our universities are dedicated to providing students with a high quality education. The overwhelming support for this agreement illustrates the commitment our faculty have to our students and our institutions,” APSCUF President Steve Hicks wrote in a news release. “This is a balanced contract that preserves and maintains quality public higher education in the commonwealth.”
APSCUF said the contract includes a compensation package similar to the agreements reached by the governor and other statewide unions. It also provides health care cost savings by increasing co-pays for office visits, emergency room visits and prescription drugs.
For the first time, class size will be included in the collective bargaining agreement as an issue subject to faculty input and recommendations. While the agreement eliminates course development compensation for distance education, it provides for technical support and instructional design professionals to assist faculty who choose to teach courses via distance education.
APSCUF and PASSHE spent 26 months negotiating before agreeing on the framework of this contract, and APSCUF members authorized its bargainers to call a strike if they deemed it necessary.
