Penn College, PCEA Agree on Five-Year Contract

Published 04.27.2017

News
Faculty & Staff

Pennsylvania College of Technology and the members of the Penn College Education Association – which includes full-time teaching faculty, librarians and counselors employed by the college – have agreed on a new contract that will run from 2018 through the 2022-23 academic year.

Annual salary increases specified in the five-year agreement, which takes effect in Fall 2018, are: 2018-19, 1.55 percent; 2019-20, 1.65 percent; 2020-21, 1.75 percent; 2021-22, 1.85 percent; and 2022-23, 2 percent.

The Penn College Board of Directors today Thursday to authorize the 2018-23 contract, which covers more than 290 PCEA members. The college has approximately 590 full-time nonfaculty employees.

Penn College President Davie Jane Gilmour said faculty and administration negotiators who worked on the contract were guided by a commitment to collegiality and collaboration.



“This is a significant commitment for the college that takes us through the 2022-23 academic year,” Gilmour said. “Everyone at the negotiating table recognized that providing the best education to students in the most fiscally responsible fashion must always be our primary focus. This agreement enables us to remain steadfast in that obligation. The spirit of cooperation was evident throughout the process.”

The president of the PCEA, Dorothy J. Gerring, and the chair of the faculty negotiating team, Bruce A. Wehler, also offered sentiments referencing the emphasis on students and stability.

“The PCEA membership voted overwhelmingly in support of this five-year contract,” Gerring said. “As the current contract is in force for another year, the ratification of this agreement provides for six years of budgeting and planning. It represents a continuation of the valued support and cooperation between the association faculty and the college administration to produce an excellent student-centered education at Penn College.”

“Meeting the needs of our students was a driving force throughout the negotiations process,” Wehler said. “As has historically been true at Penn College, the association and the administration have worked hard and worked cooperatively to develop a five-year contract that will provide responsible stability and continuity for all stakeholders. The negotiating team would like to thank Dr. Gilmour, the administrative team, and the Board of Directors for their ongoing commitment to all members of the Penn College community. This commitment was clearly in evidence throughout negotiations.”

The college’s current health care plan will remain in effect for the duration of the new agreement. Health insurance co-pays will be 12 percent in 2018-19 and 2019-20 and 14 percent through the remaining three years of the contract.

Health Savings Account/Health Reimbursement Arrangement contributions by the college of $650 for individuals and $1,300 for families will remain in effect through 2021-22. In 2022-23, the amount contributed by the college will be the greater of $650 for individuals and $1,300 for families, or 50 percent of the deductible established by the IRS. The minimum salary increase after health insurance cost-sharing will be 1.5 percent through the duration of the agreement.

The agreement calls for the overload credit-hour teaching rate to increase to $1,100 per credit in 2018-19 and 2019-20, to $1,120 in 2020-21 and 2021-22, and to $1,140 in 2022-23. The overload contact-hour teaching rate rises to $733 in 2018-19 and 2019-20, to $747 in 2020-21 and 2021-22, and to $760 in 2022-23. Effective Summer 2017, faculty may teach up to 16 credits over the summer.

Penn College is a special mission affiliate of Penn State and a national leader in applied technology education. For more, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.