The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) tallied the votes on Monday and the results are clear — the majority of the faculty authorize the union to strike, according to an APSCUF press release.
About 82 percent of faculty members participated in the vote across the state, of which 93 percent voted to authorize a strike. APSCUF coaches are scheduled to vote from Sept. 14–15. Committee approvals and a date are still required before the union can strike, according to the press release.
“The vast majority of faculty clearly grasp the seriousness of the situation,” APSCUF President Kenneth Mash said. “Chancellor Frank Brogan and the State System need to get serious very quickly.”
Shippensburg University APSCUF members invited students to an informational session Monday to explain how a strike would impact them. President of SU’s Chapter of APSCUF Kara Laskowski, along with several faculty members, spoke to about 100 students in the Dauphin Humanities Center about the possibility of APSCUF striking.
“We did vote to authorize a strike,” Laskowski said. “That does not mean necessarily we will go on strike.”
“We will do everything we possibly can to avoid a strike.”
Laskowski said several problems APSCUF has with the contract include larger class sizes, moving classes to an online setting and having less full-time faculty members.
APSCUF members have been working with an expired contract for more than 14 months.
Progress at the negotiation table has been stalled for various reasons, Laskowski said, including meetings that are not focused on important issues.
“They don’t go anywhere,” she said. “They don’t talk about anything substantial.”
The faculty encouraged students to spread the word about the status of negotiations with PASSHE, write a letter to PASSHE Chancellor Frank Brogan and to attend a rally in Harrisburg. The rally is slated for Oct. 6 when the PASSHE Board of Governors will be holding its next meeting.
Several students asked the faculty members how they will be able to complete their course work if there is a strike. Laskowski said the SU administration told her it has a plan in place, but it has not been shared with APSCUF.
“I see them as people who are role models to me,” senior Jessica Richardson said. “They have their own families and their own lives. They need to have a contract that is actually worth something to them.”
Richardson said she feels pressured to pick a side as a student. She said she understands the financial position PASSHE is in, but is more likely to support faculty in the event of a strike.
A date for the strike could be announced as early as Friday.
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