Strike Authorization Vote: TODAY IS LAST DAY TO VOTE!

Today is the last day for APSCUF members to vote on strike authorization! APSCUF-KU Members: Voting starts at 9:00 am and ends at exactly 3:00 pm. Please make every effort to get out and vote. We’d like to hit 100% turnout, but that can onl

y happen if you get out and vote. The polling station is in OLD MAIN 200 A (the entrance is on the side of Old Main facing Stratton Administration building. Call the APSCUF-KU Office at 610-683-4277 if you have questions. We are all busy, but this is our last push so let’s make it count.

At the end of voting today, all ballots will be immediately boxed and sent overnight to APSCUF state offices in Harrisburg. Votes from all 14 campuses will be counted in Harrisburg on Friday. Yup, we’ll know the results before Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

WFMZ Coverage of Strike Authorization Vote

Last night on the 10pm newscast, WFMZ ran APSCUF’s strike authorization vote as the lead story. It was a pretty good story and from what I am told, WFMZ actually beat the Associated Press to the story. Pretty cool.

STATE COLLEGE, PA

Delegates from the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties unanimously approved a strike authorization vote Saturday, according to its members.

Delegates from each campus, including Kutztown University and East Stroudsburg University met in State College Saturday for the decision.  The vote will now head to the full membership of the APSCUF.

The vote comes amid stalled contract negotiations….

Check out the full story here

While the story was pretty objective, I posted a couple of my concerns about the story as it ran on the APSCUF-KU 411 facebook page. Here ya go:

Pretty good coverage from WFMZ. While the story as a whole was pretty objective, there are a couple issues of concern:

1) On the 10pm live newscast (not in the text on the linked page) mentions the issue of a 35% cut in the pay for temporary faculty as an “other issue.” That does not reflect the position of our negotiating team or our discussions at yesterday’s Legislative Assembly. The attack on temporary faculty is a CENTRAL issue of contention. PASSHE’s proposal would und

ercut the quality of education and the ability of PASSHE universities to attract high quality faculty. (see Amy Lynch-Biniek’s article on this issue: http://goo.gl/ryycn ).

2) Again, on the 10pm live newscast, but also on the linked page, health care and retiree benefits are simply listed as “issues.” This can leave the impression by viewers/readers that we are asking for MORE benefits – a concern that is born out in the comments on WFMZ web page. APSCUF is no asking for more and the details of what PASSHE has been doing with our health care over the past decade or so is down right despicable, if not criminal. Over $100 million dollars “stolen,” in the words of our lead negotiator, from our health care plans. And, PASSHE wants to TAKE AWAY retiree benefits. That’s the issue. I really hope some crack reporters will get into these issues seriously at some point. It’s like a murder-mystery once you see the details.

All-in-all, though, thanks to WFMZ for the solid coverage. They were one of the first news outlets on the story. I heard tell that they actually be the AP on this one!

We do have our work cut out for us.

Read Full Post »

 

I will be tweeting from the Special Assembly. Follow me at @kuxchange or check out the twitter feed on the right. Look for hashtags #apscuf and #apscufLA.

 

Read Full Post »

Punxsutawney Spirit – Union for IUP workers hints at strike against Aramark

And the struggle against Aramark begins.  Right on time.

Punxsutawney Spirit – Union for IUP workers hints at strike against ..Aramark.

Read Full Post »

Happy New Year!

Just wanted to say Happy New Year to all you fans of the XChange.  I tend to be one of those people who take stock each New Year’s Eve.  I am glad to finally have gotten the XChange off the ground after a couple of false starts early in the fall ’09 semester.  I am particularly happy about this given that APSCUF will be beginning to prepare for our next round of negotiations this spring.  While our contract does not expire until June 30, 2011, formal negotiations usually begin a year before and strike organization will begin this spring semester.  By all accounts, we may be facing “tricky” negotiations…especially if the economy doesn’t turn around.

But for now, let me just wish you and yours a wonderful new year ahead!  All the best!

Read Full Post »