Negotiations between the State System of Higher Education and the union representing its approximately 350 non-faculty coaches resumed today in an effort to achieve an initial collective bargaining agreement.

More talks are scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday and Friday.

The State System is attempting to come to an agreement with the non-faculty coaches at the 14 state-owned universities, who formed a union about a year ago. Today’s negotiating session was the 23^rd between the two sides since talks began more than a year ago.

The State System in August made what it has termed its final offer to the union’s negotiating team.

The proposal would provide both across-the-board and merit-based salary adjustments as well as a generous benefits package that includes the equivalent of five weeks paid vacation each year; 15 paid sick days annually; 10 paid holidays; fully paid hospital and medical insurance and supplemental benefits, including vision, dental and prescription drug coverage; tuition waivers for coaches, their spouses and children; and job security through guaranteed, multi-year contracts.

The union has insisted on a lock-step pay scale for coaches and job security similar to faculty tenure in its various proposals.

Such a system could disrupt the competitive balance that currently exists within the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, the all-sports conference in which the State System universities compete.

The State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth. Its 14 universities offer more than 250 degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Nearly 350,000 System 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. The System also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Kittanning, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg and the University Center for Southwest Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh. The regional centers are part of the Educational Resources Group, which is responsible for coordinating statewide programming.