A faculty walk-out is not on the immediate horizon at Millersville University.
But on Saturday, the legislative assembly of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties, which represents 6,000 professors and coaches in the state, is expected to take a step toward authorizing a general strike at 14 state universities, including Millersville.
MU officials said Wednesday that classes at the local university will continue in the event of a strike.
APSCUF and PASSHE — the State System of Higher Education, which oversees the universities — are deadlocked in contract negotiations. APSCUF representatives say their members have been without a contract for 15 months, the longest gap in the union's 40-year history.
APSCUF spokeswoman Lauren Gutshall said Wednesday the legislative assembly's vote this weekend is just one step in the process.
If the assembly, which includes delegates from all 14 campuses, votes in favor of strike authorization, she said, the matter will go to the full union membership for another vote.
"Everyone who is an APSCUF member will be able to vote," she said.
"But it is just an authorization vote," she added. "They are basically giving the negotiating committee permission to call a strike if they believe it's necessary."
Assuming a "yes" vote on Saturday, Gutshall said, the unionwide vote would likely occur in mid- to late November.
"Students and their parents should not be stressing about it right now," she said.
Millersville University has 335 APSCUF members on staff, according to local APSCUF president Chuck Ward.
Although action is still at a very preliminary stage, he said, "people are aware that the process is happening," he said.
"We're certainly talking to all the faculty about all the issues," he said. "Our hope is, by simply taking these modest actions, we will have some effect and get a resolution."
APSCUF members have never struck, Ward said, although "we have gotten to the stage of taking the strike authorization vote."
In fact, he said, there has been a strike authorization vote by the full membership during negotiations for the last three contracts.
The last negotiation, in 2007, brought the union "the closest we've ever come to an actual job action," he said.
"This is an unusual circumstance," Gutshall said. "We're not at an impasse yet … but there are some issues we remain very concerned about."
Outstanding issues in the contract include health care for active employees and future retirees, workload and compensation for temporary faculty and distance education, she said.
University spokeswoman Janet Kacskos said "a full contingency plan" is in place in the event of a strike.
"We had received some emails from students and parents who were confused. They thought we had closed down," she said.
However, Kacskos said, "should a work stoppage authorization take place and should faculty choose not to teach their classes, we would remain open."
A plan for covering classes in the event of a strike "is still being developed as we speak," she said.
"But we're very hopeful that there will be a settlement."
PASSHE spokesman Kenn Marshall said the State System is "committed to staying at the table as long as it takes to reach a fair agreement."
"The faculty union has taken strike authorization votes virtually every time we have been in negotiations with them," Marshall said. "It's part of the process, if you will."
Each campus has a plan in place if a strike is called, he added. "But our focus is on reaching an agreement."
PASSHE on Monday rejected APSCUF's request to submit the contract to binding arbitration.
The next negotiation session is scheduled for Monday, Gutshall said.
