Faculty and staff at the Community College of Philadelphia reached a tentative deal overnight with the school, averting a strike scheduled for Wednesday morning.
After authorizing a work stoppage last week, the 1,200 CCP employees represented by the American Federation of Teachers Local 2026 said they would walk off the job if demands weren’t met by 7 a.m. on March 26. Details of the agreement have not been released, but are expected later Wednesday morning.
“We have been bargaining in good faith and we will continue to bargain in good faith long into the night if necessary to get the contracts our members need,” Union Co-President Rainah Chambliss said in a statement Tuesday.
The parties were negotiating separate, four-year contracts for full-time professors, adjuncts and school staffers after the previous contracts expired in August of last year. The two parties began negotiation in January of 2024 and held more than 30 sessions in the time since.
AFT sought 9% pay increases for the first two years of the contracts and a 6% increase in the final two years. It also asked to raise adjunct wages to be in line with those at Temple University, where they make 25% more, and for staff to make at least $20 per hour. Additionally, it wanted to address staffing shortages, reopen a childcare center on campus, provide free SEPTA passes for students and have smaller class sizes. The union had strong support from students at the school.
In a statement Tuesday, the college maintained its stance that a strike would be unlawful, as a third-party fact finder from the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board was appointed to review proposals from both sides. At the time, Shannon Rooney, vice president for Enrollment Management and Strategic Communications at the school, said CCP would continue to bargain until an agreement was reached.
Earlier this month, Mayor Cherelle Parker proposed allocating $270 million over the next five years to CCP, plus an additional $15 million to support its workforce, in her budget address. City Council must approve the budget before those funds can be released. Last year, members approved an extra $5 million for CCP, which the union wanted to put towards pay increases and addressing staffing shortages.
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