Despite calls from the governor and a state legislative leader to resume negotiations, day one of a classroom strike across Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities ended as it began — with anger, picketing and no settlement in sight.
From California to Kutztown, the system's 105,000 students statewide were being instructed to show up for classes Wednesday to see if their professor was present and to await instructions if that person did not show.
It made for some surreal moments, like the 9 a.m. art class at Clarion University, in which students not sure what to do jotted down their names on a sheet of paper, placed it on a chair and then left the room when no one arrived to take attendance.
"We waited the 15 minutes like they say you're supposed to," said Wes Lang, 20, a junior business administration major from Oil City.
Leaders of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties said they waited until the 5 a.m. strike deadline they had set for Wednesday, and then began the system's first-ever faculty strike after management did not return with an improved proposal, having left its "last, best" offer on the bargaining table in Harrisburg Tuesday night.
"We waited until 5 a.m.,” said Kenneth Mash, APSCUF president. “We are headed to the picket lines, but even on the picket lines, our phones will be on, should the State System decide it doesn’t want to abandon its students.
"It's a sad day for the Commonwealth," he said.
All day, faculty in shifts marched on picket lines set up at key campus entrances at the 14 campuses in the state system, including California, Clarion, Edinboro, Indiana and Slippery Rock universities.
It was the culmination of a 16-month contract dispute, a confrontation visibly building since the summer, and the fact that union and management could not avoid it drew harsh words from Gov. Tom Wolf.
“I am extremely disappointed in the failure of (the State System) and APSCUF to reach an agreement," the governor said. "The resulting strike is detrimental to the system and will have far-reaching effects for years to come.”
State House Majority Leader Dave Reed, R-Indiana, also called the strike disappointing and harmful, adding:
“Until an agreement is reached, I have requested and would expect both parties to immediately return to the table and continue negotiating to end this harmful strike.”
Even so, there was no sign by early evening of when the sides would sit down for another crack at replacing a faculty contract covering 5,000-plus faculty that expired in July 2015.
State System spokesman Kenn Marshall said that it was unclear when the sides would return to the bargaining table.
“We are disappointed in the faculty union’s decision to go on strike this morning," he said in an emailed statement. "After five days of marathon bargaining, our negotiating team waited through the night Tuesday and into early Wednesday morning for APSCUF’s response to our proposal to give every faculty member a raise."
His comment was a reference to some $159 million in raises, nearly 12 percent, that management has said it put on the table. APSCUF disputes that total.
Mr. Mash said he is just as interested in additional talks but has not heard from the system.
"We have students who are not going to class. Were not not meeting our basic function, and we're not even talking," he said. "That's insanity."
The union has said it offered millions in concessions, including higher insurance costs for its members, but the State System wanted more.
The strike drew sharp reaction from Gov. Tom Wolf, who called the breakdown in talks "shortsightedness on both sides.”
“I am extremely disappointed in the failure of (the State System) and APSCUF to reach an agreement," the governor said. "The resulting strike is detrimental to the system and will have far-reaching effects for years to come.”
"The shortsightedness on both sides is counter to my efforts on behalf of the system and hurts the dedicated professors and university staff, and students and their families who are paying tuition to these universities.
"I urge both sides to return to the table immediately and continue negotiations until an agreement is reached," the governor said.
Pay, not counting extra courses and summer work, ranges from $46,609 for first-year instructors at the lowest of 13 pay steps to $112,238 for professors at the top.
In-state tuition set centrally by the State System's board of governors is $7,238 a year for Pennsylvania undergraduates, though four of the 14 schools have adopted per-credit price policies that have led to higher rates for many students on those campuses.
State System officials said campuses would stay open and they told students to attend class.
At California University of Pennsylvania, striking faculty members and student supporters stationed themselves all day at the entrances to the campus.
Some were out as soon as the sun was up and planned to stay until about 10 p.m.
"It's scary, but it's important to have a good contract," said psychology professor Carrie Rosengart. Instead of teaching her 2 p.m. Intro to University Studies class for first-year students, she joined a dozen others picketing at the main entrance to campus and distributing badges to passing students.
Shane Marth, a 22-year-old majoring in parks and recreation management, asked for one that he could wear to show solidarity with the faculty members. He agreed with the faculty's stance, even though he said was concerned about the lack of information given to students about what is happening.
With all of his professors on strike, Mr. Marth signed his name on the whiteboard in one of his classrooms and left for the day shortly after 2 p.m.
"Hopefully it doesn't last long because I'm really trying to graduate next semester," he said.
Students received an email from the university administration Wednesday morning informing them that they are required to sign in at their classes even if there is no teacher, said Kalynn Peck, 18. She was among several students who joined the professors on the picket line.
"All my teachers are out here," she said. "I'm not sitting in class and being baby-sat by someone who can't teach us."
"I'm not spending twenty grand to be taught by someone without a Ph.D.," added Sara McCarthy, 19, who was also picketing with the faculty.
Word of the union's statewide action set off a flurry of activity on the individual campuses:
At Indiana University of Pennsylvania, David Chambers, an associate professor of political science, used his Subaru Legacy shortly before 7 a.m. to help distribute faculty to some 28 picket points being set up around the sprawling campus.
"From the start, I thought the chances were 70-30 that we would go on strike,” Mr. Chambers said. “I'm disappointed, but not surprised.”
The strike is playing out across a system already struggling with enrollment losses exceeding 30 percent since 2010 on some campuses and appropriations from the Commonwealth that have historically lagged that of nearly all other states and is as low as it was in 1999
Since its peak six years ago of nearly 120,000 students, the system has lost roughly 12 percent of its enrollment, an amount as large as its second largest university.
State System officials late Tuesday night said progress actually had been made,and that tentative agreements had been reached on a dozen issues from distance education to recruitment and retention of faculty.
The State System said it withdrew proposals to require temporary faculty teach an extra course each semester to be classified as full-time. It said it also abandoned a proposal to cut part-time temporary faculty and yet another raising the maximum number of temporary instructors the universities could employ.
Bill Schackner: bschackner@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1977 and on Twitter: @BschacknerPG. Elizabeth Behrman: ebehrman@post-gazette.com.
First Published: October 19, 2016, 9:26 a.m.
Updated: October 20, 2016, 4:34 a.m.
