The faculty union for the State System of Higher Education universities has released the transcript of remarks made last week by union chief Dr. Kenneth Mash to the Board of Governors.
Mash said he felt compelled to speak after listening to comments made at the last board meeting and at the Senate and House appropriations hearings. He angrily objected to what he called “inaccurate information” perpetuated by State System employees, especially regarding salaries and health care benefits in the latest APSCUF contract, which was only arrived at after the first faculty strike in the history of the State System. In reality, Mash said, “Real wages for faculty have decreased, and they have decreased for virtually all non-top-level managers throughout the System.”
Mash called on the State System to “stop beating up on” the faculty and to “stop dragging down the System”.
After the 2016 strike ended with a one-year contract that will expire on June 30th, APSCUF and the State System agreed to another one-year pact last year that will expire on June 30th, 2019. New contract talks on a long-term deal are expected to begin this summer.
