The union representing faculty and staff at Community College of Philadelphia has set a strike deadline for 7 a.m. this Wednesday, March 26, if a new contract agreement is not reached.
The union, AFT Local 2026, represents approximately 1,200 members, including full-time faculty, adjunct professors and staff. A recent strike authorization vote saw 97% of participating members in favor of the action.
This decision comes after more than a year of negotiations and over 100 hours at the bargaining table, according to the union, which has been working without a contract since last August.
CCP administration says they have been consistently negotiating and are committed to reaching an agreement.
“The College is disappointed that the federation has announced the possibility of a strike Wednesday morning,” a spokesperson for CCP said in a statement. “The college bargained all weekend with the Federation and looks forward to the mutually agreed-upon bargaining session scheduled for tomorrow [Tuesday]. The college remains committed to negotiating in good faith with the Federation to avoid the harm that would come to students from a strike.”
The college has proposed a 5% wage increase in the first year, followed by 4% increases in each of the next two years.
The union’s key demands include:
- Wage increases: The union is seeking 9% pay increases in the first two years and 6% in the final two years of a four-year contract. They argue that adjuncts at CCP earn 25% less than their counterparts at Temple University.
- Improved staffing levels: The union claims that CCP has lost professors, counselors, advisors, librarians and other essential staff, and wants to ensure increased staffing levels.
- Free SEPTA passes for students: The union is advocating for CCP to join SEPTA’s Key Advantage program to provide students with free public transit access. The college says it doesn’t have the funds for it.
- Other issues: Smaller class sizes, better benefits, and the reopening of a child care center on campus.
A potential complication in the strike plan is the ongoing fact-finding process initiated by the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board at the college’s request. State labor law prohibits striking during fact-finding, but the union disputes the legitimacy of this process, claiming that the college missed the application deadline.
“Management’s request for fact-finding is a blatant attempt to undermine workers’ rights that parallels the attacks on labor we are seeing nationally. The College’s management and board of trustees are trying to stop the bargaining process and ignore the critical demands of CCP’s dedicated faculty and staff for real raises, full staffing and the support that students need to succeed.” union Co-President Junior Brainard said Monday.
If the strike proceeds, it will impact more than 12,000 credit students and almost 1,400 noncredit students enrolled at CCP this spring. The college has said that buildings would remain open for registration and financial aid services, but students would be notified if classes are canceled.
The last faculty strike at CCP occurred in 2007, resulting in a two-week class cancellation.
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