Board of Governors Approves Contracts with Faculty, Coaches and Nurses

Harrisburg, PA – The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) today approved three collective bargaining agreements with unions representing faculty members, coaches and nurses at the 10 state-owned universities. 
 
The faculty and non-faculty coach members of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) and members of the Office of Professional Employees International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania (OPEIU), which include registered nurses, university certified registered nurse practitioners, or university registered nurse supervisors, recently ratified the contracts. 
 
“We are pleased to reach agreements with all of the represented employees, which recognizes their hard work and their contributions to their universities and the state,” said Board Chair Cynthia Shapira. “The faculty, staff and coaches at PASSHE universities are incredibly dedicated to educating their students inside the classroom and beyond to prepare them for successful careers and rewarding lives in Pennsylvania.” 
 
“We also thank the tremendous nursing professionals who provide health care on our campuses, which supports the health and well-being of our students so they can focus on learning.”
 
The APSCUF faculty and coaches and the OPEIU contracts are each four-year agreements retroactive to July 1, 2023, and run through June 30, 2027. 
 
“The faculty and staff have worked incredibly hard over the past four years through the pandemic and the State System’s redesign, and this contract reflects it,” said Chancellor Dan Greenstein. “These agreements allow our colleagues to catch up with inflation and set a course for the future. Most importantly, this is a reminder that universities are about people, and our universities could not serve their students without our dedicated faculty and staff. Thank you to APSCUF President Ken Mash and all of the negotiators who made this agreement possible.”
 
APSCUF President Dr. Kenneth M. Mash said, “Our faculty and coaches are the backbone of our universities, and they have been through a lot over the past several years. These contracts take a step toward recognizing their contributions in seeing their universities through difficult times. There are many changes to the contracts that we [APSCUF] believe will help modernize our institutions and ensure that they continue to provide students with an excellent education while being mindful of total college costs. They are the product of hard work by faculty, coaches, and State System management, and we appreciate the great effort that was given by all to reach agreement. We especially appreciate the hours that the chancellor, Dan Greenstein, directly committed to reaching a settlement."
 
The APSCUF faculty contract includes salary increases over the four-year period of 4%, 2%, 1.25% and 3%, and a step increase each spring semester. Faculty who are at the top of the pay scale and ineligible for a step increase will receive a one-time cash payment of 2.5%. The salary changes in the facility agreement are similar to recent collective bargaining agreements between the commonwealth and other major unions.
 
The APSCUF non-faculty coaches contract includes salary increases over the four-year period of 4%, 2.5%, 2%, 2.5%, 2%, 2.5% and 2.25%, and $450 payments for regular full-time and regular part-time coaches with two years of service on July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2026. It also sets minimum salary thresholds for full-time head coaches and assistant coaches.
 
The OPEIU agreement includes salary increases over the four-year period of 4%, 2%, 1.25% and 4%, and step increases each January. OPEIU members at the top of the pay scale and ineligible for a step increase will receive a one-time cash payment of 2.5%.
 
Summaries of the APSCUF faculty, APSCUF non-faculty coaches and OPEIU contracts are online.