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Community College of Philadelphia staff, faculty to go on strike Wednesday if new contract can't be reached

Community College of Philadelphia staff, faculty set to go on strike
Community College of Philadelphia staff, faculty set to go on strike 02:08

Union leaders representing more than 1,200 faculty and staff at Community College of Philadelphia announced a strike deadline of Wednesday morning if a new contract agreement can't be reached. Ninety-seven percent of members approved the strike.

Union leaders said after over a year of bargaining, more than 100 hours of negotiations and working without a contract since August 2024, they have not seen enough progress on key points, including wage and staffing increases, parental leave policies and free transportation for students. 

"Our top issues continue to be wages that address inflation. We're looking at adjuncts that can make 35% more at Temple University doing the same work," Junior Brainard, co-president of the faculty & staff federation, said. "We're also pushing for full staffing. We've seen a 25% decrease in staff here since the pandemic but our enrollment is back up. Our students need to be able to meet advisors and counselors and faculty tutors."

In a statement, a spokesperson for CCP said in part, "The College is disappointed that the federation has announced the possibility of a strike Wednesday morning. The college bargained all weekend with the Federation and looks forward to the mutually agreed-upon bargaining session scheduled for tomorrow. The college remains committed to negotiating in good faith with the Federation to avoid the harm that would come to students from a strike…"

Faculty and staff said they are prepared to bargain around the clock between now and Wednesday. They're hopeful a contract agreement can be reached. 

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