2008 Woodie Awards
Faculty union worried about budget requests
By Rachel Seeman
Rocket News Editor
Issue date: 3/2/07 Section: News
The Pennsylvania governor and the State System of Higher Education are each asking for a different budget for all 14 state schools. But the amount remains lower than enough to compensate for the faculty salary increases the union is seeking.
Gov. Ed Rendell is asking for $484 million for the PSSHE budget, while Chancellor Judy Hample is seeking a $496 million budget from the state, a six percent increase from this year's budget.
The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties is not pleased with the lack of effort from the governor to keep his promise on making sure things went well if he were re-elected.
"We are very concerned that the chancellor deliberately did not ask for the percentage in terms of budget from the legislature that she actually needs to account for wage increases that APSCUF plans to ask from the state system," said Jace Condravy, APSCUF representative for SRU.
APSCUF President Patricia Heilman said a letter has been sent to the governor asking for a larger budget that will cover salary increases and keep tuition costs down.
"We have been talking to people on house and senate appropriation committees," she said. "Because of the last contract, we lost 903 faculty members, including 140 new hires that came in from 2002 that decided not to stay with the state system."
Heilman said one of the major factors for APSCUF in improving contracts is because PASSHE is no longer competitive.
We are no longer competitive with public institutions in border states, state-related universities and private institutions, she said.
A strike is still on the table, but is a last resort, Heilman said.
"We feel we have done everything," she said.
Condravy said the union has been trying to proactively move negotiations, so the governor and chancellor could act accordingly.
The union was hoping to have the negotiations taken care of by end of summer 2006, Heilman said.
Kenn Marshall, spokesperson for PASSHE, said the state system did not ignore the union's request to discuss contracts.
"We met with the union throughout the fall," Marshall said. "Neither side submitted an economical proposal until mid January."
Three of the state system's unions have already reached a tentative agreement, Marshall said.
"When the request was made in October, we were beginning seven of eight union negotiations," he said. "We didn't know where they would end up and didn't include their increased salaries."
PASSHE requested what they thought was appropriate at the time, Marshall said.
As soon as contracts are settled, a combination of increased tuition and budget cuts will make up for the difference necessary to cover all union contracts.
This is a typical process that has been going on for more than 40 years, Marshall said.
Students will not know how much tuition has increased until mid-summer.
Gov. Ed Rendell is asking for $484 million for the PSSHE budget, while Chancellor Judy Hample is seeking a $496 million budget from the state, a six percent increase from this year's budget.
The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties is not pleased with the lack of effort from the governor to keep his promise on making sure things went well if he were re-elected.
"We are very concerned that the chancellor deliberately did not ask for the percentage in terms of budget from the legislature that she actually needs to account for wage increases that APSCUF plans to ask from the state system," said Jace Condravy, APSCUF representative for SRU.
APSCUF President Patricia Heilman said a letter has been sent to the governor asking for a larger budget that will cover salary increases and keep tuition costs down.
"We have been talking to people on house and senate appropriation committees," she said. "Because of the last contract, we lost 903 faculty members, including 140 new hires that came in from 2002 that decided not to stay with the state system."
Heilman said one of the major factors for APSCUF in improving contracts is because PASSHE is no longer competitive.
We are no longer competitive with public institutions in border states, state-related universities and private institutions, she said.
A strike is still on the table, but is a last resort, Heilman said.
"We feel we have done everything," she said.
Condravy said the union has been trying to proactively move negotiations, so the governor and chancellor could act accordingly.
The union was hoping to have the negotiations taken care of by end of summer 2006, Heilman said.
Kenn Marshall, spokesperson for PASSHE, said the state system did not ignore the union's request to discuss contracts.
"We met with the union throughout the fall," Marshall said. "Neither side submitted an economical proposal until mid January."
Three of the state system's unions have already reached a tentative agreement, Marshall said.
"When the request was made in October, we were beginning seven of eight union negotiations," he said. "We didn't know where they would end up and didn't include their increased salaries."
PASSHE requested what they thought was appropriate at the time, Marshall said.
As soon as contracts are settled, a combination of increased tuition and budget cuts will make up for the difference necessary to cover all union contracts.
This is a typical process that has been going on for more than 40 years, Marshall said.
Students will not know how much tuition has increased until mid-summer.
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