State, University Professors Reach Agreement on Contract
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Negotiators for the state and the union representing faculty at 14 state universities reached a tentative agreement on a new contract last month, just two hours before a strike moratorium set by the union was about to expire.
Details of the three-year contract proposal were not available pending ratification votes.
"The tentative agreement is fair to both sides," says union president William Fulmer. "Now our faculty members can concentrate solely on delivering a quality education to our 95,000 students. The students, families and future students of the state system are the real winners." "It has been a difficult process, but we are now looking forward to working with our fine faculty as we move together into the new millennium," says state system chancellor James H. McCormack. [Spelling?]
The union will vote on the pact within the next month, according to union spokesman Kevin Kodish. The State System Board of Governors will meet shortly thereafter to consider its approval.
The two-week moratorium announced by the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties was set to expire just before the agreement was reached. APSCUF was asking for a 3.25 percent pay raise in the first year of a three-year contract and raises of 3 percent in the remaining years.
APSCUF rejected a State System of Higher Education offer last week of a 2 percent raise in pay retroactive from July and a 1 percent raise in the spring. The SSHE offer was rejected on the grounds that summer school pay would remain at rates established in 1995 and no increases would be added to the union's health and welfare fund.  Other issues included the SSHE's use of temporary faculty, contributions to the union's health and welfare fund and professors retaining rights to creative properties such as books and Web sites.
The system consists of Cheyney, Slippery Rock, Edinboro, California, Clarion, Lock Haven, Shippensburg, West Chester, Mansfield, Bloomsburg, East Stroudsburg, Kutztown, Millersville and Indiana universities.