Tensions are escalating at Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) as negotiations between the college and its faculty union, the Harrisburg Area Community Education Association, intensify. The union, affiliated with the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), has been in talks with HACC for over three years without reaching an agreement. The union is now polling its members about the possibility of a strike.
HACC's latest offer includes a 9.1% raise in the first year and a 3% raise in the following two years, which the union has rejected. Instead, the union is demanding a 9.6% raise in the first year, followed by 3.85% raises in the next two years, along with a $5,000 signing bonus for full-time faculty. The college has labeled these demands as unaffordable, stating that they create a roadblock to reaching an agreement. HACC has also proposed other benefits, including yearly increases to minimum base salaries, professional development funds, and health care savings contributions.
The faculty union claims that while administrators and non-union staff are set to receive a 3% raise, professors have not had a raise in three years. Amy Withrow, a professor of English and co-chair of the union negotiations, expressed frustration over the lack of progress, citing concerns about managerial rights and academic freedom. She stated, "They are trying to really expand their managerial rights, limit our academic freedom, limit our intellectual property rights."
As both parties prepare to meet again on July 9, the union has requested binding arbitration, a move HACC has not yet agreed to. The college maintains that it is negotiating in good faith and aims to reach a mutual agreement without involving a third party. However, the prolonged negotiations have tested the patience of faculty members, who are considering a strike as a last resort.