HACC faculty still on track to strike after 2 unsuccessful contract negotiations this week

• By Ashley Stalnecker/LNP | LancasterOnline

Another failed round of negotiations between HACC and its faculty union Thursday has kept the union on track to strike.

The union said in a news release Friday that in their most recent bargaining session, which lasted more than six hours, the college continued to use “union-busting tactics” by presenting an economical proposal that “ignores the past two years of status quo and offers no retroactivity.”

“The administration still refuses to present us with an agreement that we can accept,” English professor and union chief negotiator Amy Withrow said Friday. “HACCEA is offering a reasonable, affordable and common-sense agreement. The college knows what it will take to get this done. But last night, the college still failed to address basic and reasonable asks from the union.”

Pennsylvania State Education Association region advocate Lauri Lebo said the college hasn’t scheduled any additional bargaining dates with the union as of Friday afternoon.

Earlier this week, nearly 200 members of HACC’s union rallied outside the college’s campus prior to entering a seven-hour long negotiation session. Faculty, including roughly 100 union members at the college’s Lancaster campus in East Lampeter Township, have been negotiating for a contract for nearly three years and said they haven’t received a raise in 42 months.

Under PA Act 195, the union isn’t required to give the college advance notice of a strike and its members have yet to announce the date they plan to walk out. A majority of the union gave its leaders authorization to strike earlier this month.

HACC’s media team released the following statement Friday afternoon: “The College believes that a faculty strike is imminent. We respect the rights of our faculty to express their concerns and to participate fully in the collective bargaining process, including engaging in a lawful strike. However, we are disappointed that this action will create disruption for our students — the very individuals that we are all here to serve.

“The College believes the decision to strike disregards the fiscal challenges HACC currently faces, including significant state and federal funding uncertainties.”

HACC told LNP | LancasterOnline earlier this week that it has been bargaining with the union in “good faith,” while keeping student success a priority. HACC said it is preparing for a walkout, which could include gathering information on replacement faculty.

The college said it will not close in the event of a strike and that it would work with its 12,000 students – 2,000 of which are enrolled at its Lancaster campus – to ensure they can finish their selected programs.

Union negotiators said they continue to propose backpay for its members along with an increase of 3% for the 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years — as was approved by the board of trustees but not doled out to faculty. The union said the college stands by its position of no back pay for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, “demonstrating yet again that this is not about anything other than punishing faculty for unionizing.”

HACC said Wednesday that the union is asking for a 17% salary increase over the next three years and a one-time $5,000 payment for all full-time members that would make HACC “unaffordable for many students.”