West Chester, PA – Pennsylvania college faculty won a new contract after three days on the picket lines and mobilizing support from students, parents and other sectors of support throughout the state.

On the second day of the strike on Oct. 20, APSCUF, the faculty union of Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), continued picketing to demand quality education, maintain quality healthcare and fight cuts. Students and faculty picketed, marched and sang union songs like Solidarity Forever and Which Side Are You On?. Protesters also chanted, “El pueblo unido, jamás seran vencido!” or “The people united, will never be defeated!” Students stood with faculty holding signs all around campus and offered rides, made food and handed out water.

In addition, students traveled to PASSHE headquarters in Harrisburg to make the chancellor listen to them. One student group was consistently on the frontlines with faculty, the West Chester University of Pennsylvania chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) demonstrated their solidarity by picketing with faculty from early in the morning to late at night.

Sabrina Glass of Students for a Democratic Society said, “While I was personally frustrated with the PASSHE system, for showing a blatant lack of concern for my own education, what was more frustrating was watching the concern and worry in my professors leading up to the strike. No one deserves to spend such a long amount of time wondering about what the future of their jobs may be.”

On Oct. 21, students and faculty hit the picket lines together for a third day. At 10 a.m. several students marched into town where they talked with Mayor Carolyn Committa, who was supportive. Then students marched to the Olive Branch Restaurant where Governor Tom Wolf was invited to an important luncheon. The students demanded the governor come down to visit West Chester University of Pennsylvania campus.

Sabina Sister was able to engage the governor, but all Governor Wolf could say was “You should just get back to class.” As students marched and chanted in front of the restaurant, Governor Wolf eventually left out the back door.

After this confrontation, students marched back to campus where picket lines where livelier than ever. The band came out to play Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing and Hey Baby, with the new lyrics, “Hey Brogan, I wanna know if you’ll make a deal.” High Street Harmonix, the schools a cappella group also came out to join the picket lines in support of the faculty.

Sabina Sister and Ian Gallagher of SDS helped lead chants: “We shall not be moved,” “Brogan, get it done,” and “When education is under attack, what do we do? Stand up! Fight back!” Students then led yet another march around campus chanting “Students for faculty” and “2-4-6-8 now they must negotiate!”

Reflecting on his experiences, SDSer Aaron Gallant said, “I realized exactly why being on the teachers’ picket line was so important when I talked to someone about the strike and they spoke as if I were a victim of selfish professors. This surprised me, as I believe the decision to strike to be absolutely legitimate. In order to claim every worker’s right to strike we must dispel the myth that strikers are lazy or selfish by supporting them wherever they are.”

The first time ever, faculty strikes on all 14 PASSHE universities sent a powerful message to government and state officials, especially Chancellor Frank Brogan. At 4:03 p.m. APSCUF published a press release officially declaring a victory and the strike over. For three days students and faculty stood in solidarity together, to fight for a new contract for APSCUF. The three-day strike showed what worker power can do.

#WestChesterPA #StudentMovement #strike #Strikes #APSCUF #PennsylvaniaStateSystemOfHigherEducation #PASSHE

West Chester, PA – The sun was just rising on Oct. 19 when West Chester University (WCU) faculty and students discovered that the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) broke off negotiations with the faculty union the previous night. The Association of Pennsylvania State Colleges and University Faculty (APSCUF) has been negotiating for over one year, beginning back on June 30, 2015. The union represents nearly 5500 educators and coaches. The PASSHE covers 14 state universities and colleges and educates over 100,000 students.

The head of PASSHE, Chancellor Brogan, receives a salary of $345,758, while faculty across the state are negotiating to stop cutbacks, maintain good health care, and even out wages for the lowest paid faculty. Every year administrators require faculty to do more work, while demanding cuts. The faculty union, APSCUF, is also trying to maintain standards by having qualified faculty, not graduate assistants, teach 75% or more of classes and labs.

Immediately when news broke of the strike, faculty at 14 state universities grabbed their signs and went to the picket lines. Between the hours of 7 a.m. and 11 a.m., students coming to campus at WCU joined the picket lines in solidarity with the faculty union.

At 11 a.m., the WCU student “Walk Out in Support of Faculty!” began. 500 students on campus shouted, “Students for faculty!” “Brogan is broken!” and “When unions are under attack what do we do? Stand up! Fight back!”

The student solidarity march lasted nearly two hours crisscrossing campus. When the march ended, students remained at the lines with faculty, picketing and chanting.

A student coalition issued a statement of support for APSCUF and those on strike. Students also supported educators with water and food on the picket lines.

Sabina Sister, a student organizer said, “I stood in solidarity with my professors today because when they hurt, we all hurt. I stood in solidarity to show that bureaucratic cowardly measures don’t have a place in our school.”

Many classes were cancelled and scab professors will be difficult to find. Students say they will continue to build support for the faculty strike until fair a contract is negotiated.

The mood on some campuses was celebratory with students playing music and dancing. Brogan’s negotiating team withdrew the proposal that faculty teach five classes instead of four, but are stonewalling on other issues.

#WestChesterPA #StudentMovement #strike #Strikes #AssociationOfPennsylvaniaStateCollegesAndUniversityFaculty #APSCUF