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Penn College faculty agree on contract extension

Pennsylvania College of Technology and the Penn College Education Association (the organization representing 300 full-time teaching faculty, librarians and counselors employed at the college) have agreed to a second extension of their current employment contract through 2017-18.

The membership of the PCEA, the only unionized group of employees at the college, voted to approve the extension in December. The college’s Board of Directors approved it by unanimous consent that same month; the board passed a formal resolution ratifying it in April.

The original PCEA agreement covered the years from 2009-12. The first extension, which was approved in December 2010, covers 2012-13 through 2014-15.

The current extension agreement calls for an increase of 3.8 percent for the salary-system pool in 2013-14 and 4.25 percent in 2014-15.

The newly approved extension calls for increases of 2.5 percent in 2015-16, 3 percent in 2016-17 and 3.25 percent in 2017-18.

PCEA members may receive additional amounts for accumulated units related to length of service and new academic degrees earned.

“I am most grateful for the work of the team that brought this matter to a positive conclusion for the faculty and the college,” said Penn College President Davie Jane Gilmour. “Doing this early allows all of us to focus our energies and efforts on education and the continued success of our students.”

“This three-year extension provides the association members with a five-year period of stability related to salary and benefits while simultaneously providing the college with the opportunity to plan appropriately with future budgeting,” said PCEA President Kenneth C. Kuhns. “Historically, the association and the college have worked together to further the interests of the members, the college and the students both serve. This extension reflects that continued cooperation.”

The latest contract extension calls for the overload credit-hour teaching rate to increase to $1,040 in 2015-16 and $1,080 in 2016-17. The overload contact-hour teaching rate increases to $693 in 2015-16 and $720 in 2016-17. The 2016-17 rates remain unchanged for 2017-18.

As part of the current contract extension, PCEA members share 18 percent of health insurance costs in 2013-14 and 20 percent in 2014-15. The minimum salary increase, taking into account health insurance cost-sharing, is 1.35 percent in 2013-14; it increases to 1.75 percent in 2014-15.

Under the new extension, the minimum salary increase after health insurance cost-sharing increases to 2 percent in 2015-16 and remains there through 2017-18.

Tiered health insurance cost-sharing – which sets different costs for individuals, couples and families – begins in 2013-14, as does a voluntary Medicare supplement for retirees (available at their own expense).

For more information about Penn College, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call 800-367-9222.

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