The faculty and staff are being ignorant and unreasonable. Why don’t they enter the real world where employees have to pay for their benefits and aren’t always guaranteed a raise. They have no idea how good they have with their vacation time, holidays, etc. They are being selfish and not putting the students in front of their own misplaced greed.

Sarah, at 11:22 am EDT on March 14, 2007

We should support the staff and faculty in Philly

Many faculty and staff members at universities and colleges across the country are underpaid and overworked. Unions are among the only institutions that have worked to improve the working conditions of the people who teach and serve the students on campus.

The students’ traditional education may be interrupted by a strike, but they are getting an even more important education: they are learning that when workers act together they can improve their own working conditions, and, at the same time, improve the educational institution to which they belong.

Support the striking workers. They have as much right to collective action as any group that is being treated poorly on the job.

Kathy M. Newman, Professor of English at Carnegie Mellon University, at 10:52 am EDT on March 14, 2007

I understand the concerns of the faculty and staff, however, I guess I am not entirely clear on why they are not accepting the offer.

I get that this is a public institution and it is no secret that states started to cut their higher education budgets. But costs at all universities are rising and CCP seems like it is putting a very generous offer on the table.

Perhaps I have spent too many years in the private sector, but free healthcare and a 3.62% yearly salary increase would be a dream for many at private institutions.

Healthcare costs are rising and many private employers are putting the onus on the employee. It is not uncommon for employees to pay a considerable amount of their premiums for a less-than-adequate plan.

In addition not all private employees are guaranteed a 3.62% increase, an increase above inflation, or any increase for that matter.

Maybe before the faculty and staff reject this offer they should think about what life would be like with no guarantees in the private world. Just a thought.

David, at 1:05 pm EDT on March 14, 2007

Well Keith, the private sector would never unionize because no successful company would succeed being held hostage by demands such as these. They would be forced to shut down. These people understand what the trade off is in working for the public sector. They have better benefits than most private employees and are now simply squabbling, exactly why there would never be unions in the private sector.

In addition, the bickering over the branding and PR activities is nonsense. Does anyone realize it takes these efforts to procure students and donors for the school?

Unfortunately, it takes money to get money, try getting a product to market without advertising it. If those campaigns didn’t happen there would be no students for the faculty to teach. Then.13% wouldn’t seem like a big deal.

Bill, at 2:46 pm EDT on March 14, 2007

I’m with David. The offer on the table from admin seems more than generous. 3.62% and free health? We’d be thrilled to get that at the public university where I work.

Clay, at 5:21 pm EDT on March 14, 2007

Keith — if “private sector” companies with unions are so successful — how come most of the companies that have closed their doors and gone to Mexico, China, etc were all union companies? Such as clothing manufacturers’, textile mills, shoe and industrial safety and supply manufacturers?

Annette, at 6:51 pm EDT on March 14, 2007

Annette,

That’s an easy one. Those companies have relocated to take advantage of poor, mostly unskilled laborers that they can exploit. Govenments in countries such as those you speak off generally have no labor laws, poor environmental controls and offer their “workers” little, if any benefits. Working conditions are often unsafe and unregulated. Obviously you believe that it’s ok for greed to dominate over justice and fairness.You’ll have to do better than present a weak argument like that one. But we’re talking educational institutions here. David, I never said NO money should be spent. But the millions spent is out of wack and doesn’t justify the means to the end. You mentioned facts...what information can you supply to back up the statement that “many kids rely on those materials in guidance counselor offices and college fairs, etc. Plus the university needs to promote itself, its programs and its FACULTY!!"? I’ve been in a university system for close to 16 years now. I can say with complete honesty and clarity that I’ve never had a student say to me “I came here because of the nifty brochures I saw.” The “truth” here is, most colleges, especially community colleges cater to in state students and they make up the bulk of the student population. Those students already KNOW where they’re going to college. So,let’s spend millions of dollars to attract a minority of out of state students. Oh yeah, that makes perfect sense. Are my kids smart? Yes indeed they are! They’re smart enough to know that a university should value the people that make it what it is...dedicated faculty...dependable, skilled workers. One that pays them fairly and does their best to protect them from the forces that would undermine their well being. Just try and have an educational system without them. But then again, if we lived in such a perfect world, unions wouldn’t be necessary would they? Thanks for the debate.

Keith, UKEU, at 5:50 am EDT on March 15, 2007

Poverty Level Wages

So, let’s talk about the real world: 6% of the Community College of Philadelphia’s Classified Employees (housekeepers, secretaries, techs) earn less than the minimum living wage required to support one adult living in the Philadelphia area. Another 9.1% hover just at the living wage for one adult level. Only a handful of Classified (11%) can afford to support two adults and two children on CCP salaries. And, about 25% of our staff has been here at least 10 years, 35% for 20 years or longer. Can you imagine earning less than $11 an hour after working someplace, full-time, for 10 years? As to those fully paid benefits...they’ve been gutted. We may not pay premiums, but we had agreed to accept high deductibles, high co-pays, high emergency room visit fees, slashes in coverage, all to save the College what it said it needed so that it could continue to afford to provide benefits. Students may suffer when there is a strike—and that’s not something we want. But, while the College says that graduates of its two year programs can expect to earn starting salaries above $41,000 a year. It won’t pay starting PH.D’s more than about $36,000 a year. Let’s not even talk about the disrespect and poverty wages offered to Classified staff and to Part-time faculty. Clearly, it is the hardworking and poorly compensated staff and faculty at CCP that is enduring real, long-term hardship.

Diane DeKelb-RittenhouseStrike Office Manager, FSFCCP

Diane DeKelb-Rittenhouse, Office Manager at FSFCCP, at 6:00 pm EDT on March 15, 2007