Community College of Philadelphia reaches new contracts with faculty and staff, avoiding strike

The Community College of Philadelphia and the unions representing its faculty and staff reached tentative contract agreements overnight, averting the strike that was set to begin Wednesday morning.

The 1,200 CCP employees represented by the American Federation of Teachers Local 2026 said they would walk of the job at 7 a.m. Wednesday if their demands weren't met. 

Union leaders said the deals were reached around 4 a.m. after 19 hours of negotiating. The negotiations involved separate four-year contracts for CCP's full-time professors, adjuncts and school staffers. Their previous deals expired in August. Since January 2024, more than 30 negotiating sessions had been held. 

The contracts each include a 6.5% wage increase in the first year followed by increases of 5.5% in year two, 5% in year three and 5% in year four, CCP officials said. The minimum wage for hourly employees jumps to $20 in year one and increases by $1 in each subsequent year. 

The deals lower the maximum class size by four students CCP officials said. Classes that previously were capped at 36 students now will have no more than 32, and those that were capped at 32 now will have no more than 28. 

CCP also will offer four weeks of paid parental leave to all full-time workers and make its Personal Choice health plan free to full-time, hourly workers earning less than $60,000 annually, college officials said. They also are inviting the union to participate in discussions CCP is having with SEPTA to provide free transit passes to students. 

CCP officials said the tentative agreements "represent common goals and shared commitments" to students. 

"We are grateful for the hard work and collaboration that brought us to this milestone," CCP President Donald Guy Generals said in a statement. "The agreement secures fair terms and wage increases while ensuring the financial sustainability of the College. The College is thankful the spring semester will proceed uninterrupted for our students, faculty and staff."

Union leaders declined to share details of the contracts until they are ratified by members. But they said the deals include historic raises and some of the union's staffing demands. 

"We feel like we've set a new precedent for what workers can win here," union co-President Junior Brainard said.

AFT Local 2026 sought 9% pay increases for the first two years of the contracts and 6% increases in the final two years. It also asked to raise adjunct wages by 25% so they fall in line with those at Temple University, and for staff to make at least $20 per hour. Additionally, the union wanted to address staffing shortages, reopen a child care center on campus, provide free SEPTA passes for students and have smaller class sizes. The union said it had strong support from students at the school. 

CCP had argued that a strike would be unlawful, because the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board had appointed a third-party fact finder to review proposals from both sides. On Tuesday, Shannon Rooney, vice president for Enrollment Management and Strategic Communications at the school, said CCP would continue to bargain until an agreement was reached. 

Mayor Cherelle Parker's budget proposal, released earlier this month, would allocate $270 million over the next five years to CCP, plus an additional $15 million to support its workforce. City Council must approve the budget before those funds can be released. Last year, the budget included an extra $5 million for CCP, which the union urged the college to put toward pay increases and addressing staffing shortages.