HARRISBURG, Pa. – Faculty members at each of Pennsylvania’s state-owned universities began strike-authorization voting today and will continue casting ballots through Friday.

Delegates agreed last month to move the vote to Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties membership. The vote is the third of multiple steps before a job action could commence.

APSCUF coaches will participate in a strike-authorization vote Sept. 14–15.

Voting comes amid negotiations that have been ongoing since late 2014 but have not yielded a contract that APSCUF feels preserves quality and is fair to faculty. Faculty and coach contracts expired June 30, 2015.

“We’ve been more than patient,” Dr. Allan N. Benn, an East Stroudsburg University professor, said in a speech to ESU APSCUF members Tuesday. “The System has rejected the usual road to a fair contract: realistic exchanges of proposals, considering the needs of the other side, and the actual needs of our students. There is no other way. We must vote ‘yes’ on the strike-authorization memorandum.”

APSCUF will count ballots Monday, Sept. 12.

The next faculty contract negotiation session is slated for Sept. 8.

APSCUF represents about 5,500 faculty and coaches at the State System universities: Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania.