HARRISBURG — The union representing faculty and coaches at 14 state-owned universities, including Slippery Rock University, offered a contract compromise Wednesday that it says would provide some stability for students and families by not striking during the current school year.

The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties told the State System of Higher Education that it would accept a one-year interim agreement in line with the one negotiated between the governor and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

The state system has already accepted similar agreements with its other unions.

The proposal includes a scheduled pay increase in January.

The contracts covering coaches and professors expired June 30. An agreement on them was made in March 2013 — nearly two years after the previous contracts expired.

The state system previously voted to increase tuition at several universities due to the state budget impasse that is past the 100-day mark.

“While this compromise does not begin to address our faculty members’ concerns, we believe it is most important to restore some stability for our universities while the General Assembly negotiates a budget,” APSCUF President Ken Mash said in the release.

Ben Shaevitz, SRU physics professor and president of its APSCUF chapter, said a strike is always a possibility when faculty are working without a contract, though they are “nowhere near” starting the process of calling a strike. Their previous contract expired June 30.

“It’s positive for all the parties, so we know, the system knows and the students know there won’t be a strike,” he said.

Shaevitz said the 14 chapter presidents sit on a negotiations committee and act as advisers, but are not part of the actual negotiations team.

The talks this year have not been as lengthy and detailed as in previous years because of the state budget impasse, he said.

“There isn’t a gridlock. It’s hard for a state agency to negotiate about economic things if they don’t know what their budget is,” he said.

Kenn Marshall, a state system spokesman, said the system is in the process of reviewing the proposal and will respond to the union later.

He said that APSCUF’s agreement is identical to an agreement the system has with AFSCME in terms of salary increases. However, he said APSCUF’s proposal does not have any provisions for health care cost savings — which was contained in the AFSCME agreement.

“Both components were important to the state system in accepting the AFSCME settlement,” Marshall said.

APSCUF, which represents about 6,000 faculty and coaches at 14 state universities, including 475 professors and 30 coaches at SRU, said it expects a quick response from the state system.

Eagle staff writer John Bojarski contributed to this report.