Community College of Philadelphia staff vote to authorize strike, union says

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The union representing faculty and staff at the Community College of Philadelphia has voted to authorize a strike.

Officials say 97% of the members voted in favor of going on strike.

They say management fails to address its core demands around fair pay, staffing, and free public transit for students.

The union's bargaining team says they had hoped to make significant progress over the weekend but were not happy with the offers made.

They have held over 30 bargaining sessions over the last 14 months and say a strike is a last resort if continued negotiations fail.

Officials with the Community College of Philadelphia tell Action News they have filed a request for a fact-finding panel with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board to examine their proposals, which they say provide fair terms and wage increases.