Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1723 at Temple approved a new contract proposed by University administration last Thursday afternoon.
The contract calls for a 3 percent wage raise over the next four years of the contract and a modest increase in health care costs.
“We are happy it’s settled,” AFSCME President Gary Kapanowski said. “We think it’s a fair and decent contract. The most important part for our members is that we defeated a flawed merit pay proposal that was very unpopular.”
More than two-thirds of the 710 members of AFSCME voted on the contract and 97 percent of those voters approved it.
Negotiations stalled between the union and the university when a previous proposal sent to AFSCME in January was rejected over rising health care costs and merit pay. The two parties had not been able to come to an agreement until now.
“We can now look toward a good four-year contract,” Kapanowski said. “We’re glad we got through this hurdle. We will look to support other workers’ unions here at Temple in the fall when they too have their contracts renewed.”
The administration will draw up an official agreement that will be signed in a few weeks.
Barbara J. Isenberg can be reached at isenberg@temple.edu.
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