TheState System of Higher Education today rejected a proposal by the union representing its approximately 5,500 faculty to submit to binding arbitration to achieve a new contract.

Under the proposal by the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF), the two sides would be required to call in an independent arbiter if they could not agree to a new contract by December 31. The arbiter then would decide the terms of the next contract between the State System and APSCUF.

“If the State System is to continue its role as a leader in public higher education, those issues must be addressed by the parties at the bargaining table as they have been since the creation of the State System.”

APSCUF proposed binding arbitration after refusing an offer by the State System to extend the terms of the recently expired faculty contract through December 31 while negotiations continued. The State System made the offer to help assure students and their families that classes would not be interrupted by a faculty strike this Fall. Negotiators for the State System repeated their unconditional offer today.

The faculty union has agreed for now to continue teaching under the terms of the expired contract, but has not ruled out the possibility of a strike at a later date. APSCUF leaders have scheduled a strike-authorization vote for later this month.

Such a vote would give the union leadership the authority to call for a work stoppage at any time. Similar votes have been taken during previous negotiations, but have not resulted in a walkout. State System faculty have never gone on strike.

APSCUF also previously has asked for binding arbitration, but it has never been agreed to by the State System.

“A strike would be extremely harmful to our students,” said Chancellor James H. McCormick. “The State System has made a very strong offer that would ensure our faculty continue to be well compensated for the excellent job they do. We need to continue to negotiate until we reach an agreement that will be fair to everyone.”

The State System’s latest contract offer would grant professors salary increases of up to 16.5 percent over three years while not reducing any of their benefits.

The proposal would provide all faculty general pay increases of 2 percent each year in 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 and 2.5 percent in 2001-2002.

Eligible faculty on any of the seven steps of the current pay scale also would receive, in addition to the 2 percent general pay increase, an annual service increment of 5 percent for the 1999-2000 academic year. A new 15-step salary schedule, which would provide eligible faculty annual service increments of approximately 2.5 percent at each step, would be implemented in the second year of the contract. Faculty eligible for the annual service increments in each of the three years of the contract would receive a combined increase of 16.5 percent under this proposal.

Those faculty at the top of the new pay scale and not eligible for the service increments would receive, in addition to the general pay increases, cash payments of 2.5 percent in each of the second and third years of the contract.

The latest APSCUF proposal would increase the base salary of every faculty member by at least 17.25 percent over four years – 4 percent in 1999-2000, 4.25 percent each in 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 and 4.75 percent in 2002-2003.

APSCUF also is seeking to continue the 5 percent annual service increment, which provides automatic pay increases based on years of service, throughout the life of the next contract. These automatic pay increases are in addition to the general pay increases listed above and would result in some faculty members being eligible to receive combined increases totaling as much as 37.25 percent over four years.

State System faculty salaries already are very competitive when compared with those paid by comparable public institutions, both nationally and in the northeast, where salaries tend to be higher than in the rest of the country. The average nine-month salary for full-time faculty at all ranks as of Fall 1998 was $59,428. The average nine-month salary for full-time instructors – the lowest of four faculty ranks – was $34,085, while the average nine-month salary for full-time professors – the highest rank – was $76,255.

Additional information on negotiations is available at the State System website at: http:\\www.sshechan.edu. Click on “What’s New,” then “Collective Bargaining Information,” then “APSCUF-Faculty.”

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 Resource Group, which is responsible for coordinating statewide programming.