At approximately 4 p.m. today, the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) announced that the strike was over.
According to Fox 43, APSCUF and Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) have finally reached an agreement. There is now a new contract that will end on June 20, 2018.
With APSCUF’s goal of keeping a quality education, they compromised with PASSHE to accept a lower salary package than most other unions in exchange for removing most of the 249 changes PASSHE proposed. APSCUF has not yet released specific details about concessions, but they will in a future statement.
In a quote Fox 43 received from APSCUF President Dr. Kenneth M. Mash, Mash discussed his goals during the negotiations and his sense of relief now that the strike is over:
“Our primary goals were to preserve quality education for our students, protect our adjuncts from exploitation, and make sure the varieties of faculty work are respected. We achieved every single one of those goals, and the faculty were willing to take less than every other bargaining unit in order to preserve those goals. We are relieved to have an agreement that preserves quality public higher education in Pennsylvania and allows our members to get back into the classroom where they belong.”
Mash continued on to praise Gov. Tom Wolf for his support in encouraging an agreement and praised “brothers and sisters” at other unions for their support. He especially wanted to thank the students for their support:
“Most of all, [we] thank our students. If any high school student is looking for a place to go to school, they should look at how much all our students supported their faculty. We have phenomenal students, and we are proud to be able to return to the classroom to supply the quality of public higher education they deserve” (Fox 43).
This strike lasted almost three days and was the first strike in APSCUF history.
