Blog
PASSHE Passes New Concessionary Proposal Across Negotiations Table
APSCUF’s negotiators met with the Chancellor’s team today, October 5, 2012, at the APSCUF offices in Harrisburg. As agreed to previously, APSCUF presented data in support of the association’s proposals. Near the close of the session, the Chancellor’s team passed a new comprehensive proposal across the table. APSCUF’s team is currently reviewing this proposal, but is aware that it still contains substantial concessions with regard to health care for actives and annuitants, workload and compensation for temporary faculty, and distance education.
The two sides will meet again on October 22nd so that the Chancellor’s team can present information to support its proposals.
Where is the Chancellor: What is his vision for PASSHE?
Chancellor John Cavanaugh sits on the Governor’s Commission for Post-Secondary Education. He testifies annually in front of both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees about the State System’s budget request. He is the leader of State System and should be its biggest advocate. So what is his vision for PASSHE’s future?
APSCUF offers binding interest arbitration to PASSHE
Yesterday, I sent a letter (via email and paper) to Chancellor Cavanaugh offering binding interest arbitration to settle the outstanding issues in faculty negotiations after the currently scheduled sessions end in November. It set a deadline for acceptance of October 15.
APSCUF and PASSHE negotiations teams fail to agree on retrenchment language
APSCUF and PASSHE negotiators met Friday, September 14, at the Dixon Center in Harrisburg. The Chancellor’s team passed a proposal on retrenchment language and made suggestions for future bargaining sessions. APSCUF caucused and responded to their proposal in writing. The two sides reconvened and failed to come to agreement on the language, but agreed to session definitions for the next two times: on Oct. 5th APSCUF will present on curriculum, class size, and distance education and on Oct. 22nd the Chancellor’s team will discuss temporary workload and concessions on retiree health care. There was neither discussion of nor progress made on the Chancellor’s team’s demand for concessions on distance education, active and retiree health care, and temporary faculty workload.
PASSHE cancels negotiations meeting scheduled for Friday, September 7
Negotiations between APSCUF and the Chancellor’s team have been canceled for Friday, September 7. The Chancellor’s chief negotiator indicated that the PASSHE team would not modify its position even after APSCUF submitted a proposal that would save the System hundreds of thousands in health care costs. Instead, the Chancellor’s team continues to demand egregious concessions on temporary faculty workload and distance learning that will diminish the quality of education for students, along with additional concessions in active and retiree health care, which go far beyond the statewide pattern. At the last meeting, PASSHE’s chief negotiator refused to make a counter proposal at the table; he recently concluded that there was no reason to meet this week. Negotiations are still scheduled for Friday, September 14.