Coaches at state-owned universities reach 4-year tentative contract deal

HARRISBURG — Coaches at Pennsylvania’s state-owned universities reached a four-year tentative contract agreement with Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education negotiators on Wednesday.

Details of the proposed contract, which is retroactive to July 1, were not provided. The State System and coaches’ union, the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties, indicated information about the agreement won’t be released until the ratification process is complete.

“It’s been a long, hard process, but I am happy to finally have an agreement reflecting the contributions and value our coaches provide to the state system,” said APSCUF Coach Executive Leader John Gump in a statement. “Our goal has always been to have the efforts of the coaches on our campuses respected, appreciated, and rewarded. While neither side in a negotiation gets everything it wants, I am happy with the outcome.”

Job security was one of the main stumbling blocks in the negotiations. Coaches wanted language in their contract that tied their annual evaluations to contract renewals, as well as the ability to grieve decisions when their contracts were not extended.

“We believe evaluations should matter,” Mr. Gump said in a November news release about the status of talks at that point. “If we told a student-athlete for an entire season that they were performing well and then cut them from the team at the end of the year, that would be a problem — and wrong. We’re asking for respect and assurance that when we do a good job — when we provide opportunities and guidance to our student-athletes — our jobs are secure.”

It is unclear how that issue was resolved in the tentative deal.

“PASSHE is proud of our coaches and the great work they do with student-athletes to prepare them for success in their sport, in the classroom, and in their future careers,” state system Chancellor Daniel Greenstein said. “This outcome will benefit the coaches, the universities, and — most importantly — our students.”

The more than 200 coaches covered by this contract have been working under the terms of the contract that expired June 30.

Meanwhile, the faculty in a separate bargaining unit represented by APSCUF will be voting on a tentative four-year contract on April 2 through 4. Votes will be counted on April 5. Details of the contract that covers nearly 5,000 faculty members also have not been released. The sides indicated that information won’t be available until after faculty and the state system board approve it.

The coaches and faculty affected by the proposed labor contracts are employed at campuses in Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester.