Members of the union that represent teachers at IUP and 13 other state-owned universities voted to ratify the tentative long-term contract.
From Monday to Wednesday of this week, members of APSCUF voted on whether or not to ratify the contract, and according to a news release from the union, of those who voted, 94 percent were in favor of the new faculty contract. No details were offered on the contract itself, but APSCUF President Dr. Kenneth Mash said that the members accepted lesser increases than those in other statewide unions to help keep tuition down for the students. He called it, in his words, “simply unacceptable for Pennsylvania to be last or near last on every measure of state support for public higher education.” He called accepting the lesser increases an act by the union to reach out to the governor and legislature to do their part and properly support the universities.
Now that the vote count is complete, the agreement will head to the State System of Higher Education Board of Governors for their approval. Details on the contract are expected to be released once the agreement is ratified by all sides.
