AFSCME Council 13 Statement on 2024-25 PA State Budget
Members of AFSCME Council 13 lobbied extensively for and applaud increased investments in Pennsylvania’s public services outlined in the $47.6 billion spending plan that Governor Josh Shapiro signed on July 11.
Among those investments are historic increases for public education at both the K-12 and college levels. With thousands of AFSCME members working in these institutions, the union is pleased to see them rightfully prioritized.
Council 13 represents more than 2,600 workers in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). The budget includes a 6% increase to $620 million in funding for PASSHE, $85 million in supplemental “facilities transition” funding for select campuses, student scholarships, and a new State Board of Higher Education that will include two seats for labor representatives. These gains are thanks in large part to the efforts of AFSCME members in PASSHE.
“My fellow union members and I are happy to see some solid investment in the State System. We’ve been working hard to advocate for a better PASSHE for students, faculty, and staff, alike. The gains in this budget are a result of that work, but we are not stopping now. We know there is much more to do to ensure our institutions of higher education live up to their full potential,” said Doug Stettenbauer, Carpenter at Millersville University and President of AFSCME Local 2421.
Council 13 members were successful in defeating a multitude of private school voucher schemes that threatened investment in the commonwealth’s struggling public schools. We also defeated attempts to regulate and tax so-called “skill games” that would negatively impact union members working for the Pennsylvania Lottery.
AFSCME members also work in nursing homes and childcare centers throughout the state, which stand to benefit from greater investments in this budget.
While there is much to celebrate, active AFSCME members and retirees alike are extremely disappointed to see no Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for the state’s retirees. From 1968 to 2002, the General Assembly passed COLA legislation every few years, but it has not done so since 2002. The House approved House Bill 1416 in November 2023 to provide a COLA to pre-Act 9 retirees, but it now sits stagnant. These retirees have gone more than 20 years without a COLA, which puts tens of thousands of seniors who gave decades to public service at risk of poverty. This is unacceptable, and our union’s efforts on this issue will continue and intensify.
“There’s always more to do, but this budget represents a strong investment in public services and the workers who deliver those services every single day. Both active AFSCME members and our retirees will continue to make their voices heard as we move forward,” said AFSCME Council 13 Administrator Mike Sukal.
A full summary of the budget from the House Appropriations Committee can be found here.