PASSHE, APSCUF Cancel Bargaining Session

Posted by: admin on December 20, 2012, No Comments

The bargaining session scheduled for today between the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) has been canceled by mutual agreement. The two sides plan to resume talks on January 4, with additional scheduled negotiations to follow.

“Our overriding concern, as it has been throughout these negotiations, is the cost to our students and their families,” said PASSHE vice chancellor for human resources and labor relations Gary Dent. “Our students pay approximately 73 percent of the costs necessary to operate our universities through tuition and fees. Seventy-three cents of every $1 in increased costs resulting from this agreement would be borne by students and their families.

“We have made clear the essential elements we need in this agreement, which include cost savings to offset proposed salary increases; redesign of our health care plan to more closely align it with that offered to more than 80,000 state employees, including the Governor and his cabinet; and a plan to begin to address our annuitant health care costs.  In its latest response, APSCUF rejected almost every element with the exception of levels of compensation.”

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, with about 115,000 students. The 14 PASSHE universities offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. About 500,000 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.

For more information, contact Kenn Marshall, PASSHE media relations manager or call 717-720-4054, or 717-329-0809 (cell), or kmarshall@passhe.edu

www.passhe.edu.