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APSCUF’s coaches-negotiations team last week formally declined the State System’s most recent contract proposal, which would cost coaches thousands of dollars more for healthcare.
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education early this month emailed a one-year interim proposed agreement for 2015-16, and the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties’ coaches-negotiation team reviewed it May 11 via conference call. The team rejected the proposal, which State Vice President Jamie Martin described as identical to the recently refused faculty contract proposal in its healthcare component.
The proposed healthcare changes were the same as those previously presented to the coaches Dec. 7, 2015, at the last joint-negotiations session. This month’s offer also proposed a June 25 effective date for an annual salary adjustment of 2.5 percent; the System’s previous proposal had the increase slated for Jan. 9.
“With the same healthcare and the delayed salary-adjustment date, this current proposal is worse than the prior one,” Martin said. “It’s hard to understand why they think this is acceptable.”
APSCUF’s coaches chief negotiator, James Cowden of Strokoff & Cowden, last week mailed a formal rejection to the State System.
The parties were scheduled to meet Jan. 11, but the State System cancelled that session due to personnel changes. The next coaches collective-bargaining session is slated for June 27. The coaches’ contract expired June 30, 2015.
APSCUF represents about 5,500 faculty and coaches at the State System universities: Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania.