State System of Higher Education Chancellor James H. McCormick issued the following statement today in response to the Commonwealth Court’s refusal to grant a preliminary injunction against the State System’s bargaining position in negotiations with its faculty:

“I am pleased that Commonwealth Court denied the petition filed by the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) to enjoin the State System from proposing changes to the faculty salary schedule. I urge APSCUF President William E. Fulmer to lead the union to a contract settlement that is fair and reasonable to the students, faculty and State System. Let’s cast aside the strike threat and focus on working together to build a brighter future for the State System, our faculty and our students.

“The State System believes that the best way to achieve a fair and reasonable contract is to negotiate with the faculty at the bargaining table. Picket lines that would disrupt classes are not the answer.”

The State System and APSCUF are negotiating on a new contract for the approximately 5,500 faculty who teach at Pennsylvania’s 14 state-owned universities. The most recent contract expired June 30. While classes are continuing, the faculty union has scheduled a strike-authorization vote for September 27 and 28. There has never been a faculty strike in the State System’s history.

“The State System’s position is that we must manage future costs as much as possible, while providing competitive compensation to retain and attract outstanding faculty,” McCormick continued. “Our contract offer would ensure that the State System would continue to fulfill its vital mission – to provide quality education at an affordable cost to our students.”

The State System’s latest contract offer would provide salary increases to faculty of up to 16.5 percent over the next three years. The current average nine-month faculty salary in the System is $59,428, which is among the highest in the nation. APSCUF is seeking pay increases of up to 26.4 percent over three years.

APSCUF has rejected a State System offer to formally extend the terms of the last contract until a new agreement is reached, even with the assurance that any salary increases would be made retroactive.

Negotiations between the two sides are scheduled to resume Wednesday in Harrisburg.

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.