Community College of Philadelphia faculty union authorizes strike amid stalled negotiations

Faculty and staff at the Community College of Philadelphia have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, with 97% of participating members supporting the move amid stalled contract negotiations. The union, representing about 1,200 employees, has been in discussions for over a year without reaching an agreement, with key demands including fair pay, staffing increases, and free public transit for students. Union officials assert that current offers from the college fail to adequately address inflation and staffing issues, while college administrators have requested a neutral third-party review of the proposals, expressing concern over the union's willingness to strike. A strike could disrupt classes for thousands of students as graduation approaches, although union leaders state that a work stoppage would be a last resort. The last strike at CCP occurred in 2007, resulting in canceled classes for two weeks. Negotiations continue, with no strike date set at this time.