On Feb. 6, a tentative contract agreement was announced between the State System of Higher Education (SSHE) and the Association of Pennsylvania State College & University Faculties (APSCUF), the union that represents me. I want to tell you that I will be voting against ratification of this contract, and I want you to understand why I feel this is the right decision.

There are many items in the tentative agreement that trouble me, but rather than cite particulars, I want to concentrate on three basic concepts. They have to do with fairness, completeness and respect.

I moved to Pennsylvania in 2002 to work at Kutztown University. If the tentative contract is ratified, most of the assurances regarding salary and benefits given to me when I was hired will have vanished. But that isn't what I mean by fairness in this tentative contract.

I understand that this state has serious budgetary concerns. I strongly believe in shared sacrifice, and I stand ready to do my part, even if it means that I won't get a raise that I have earned. My objection is that I am being asked to bear an unfair portion of the burden.

For the salary freeze in this agreement to be acceptable to me, it must be shared. System management claims to have frozen their salaries, but this is a sham. You can go to my union's Web site, www.apscuf.com/pdfs/bulletin40.pdf to read about one set of raises given to management employees this year. Members of the American Federation of State & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) are working under a freeze. Why not state government? I call on those who are asking me to take a freeze to themselves commit to a one-year freeze in their salaries and do their part to help this state out of its budgetary crisis. If they won't participate, I am being asked to shoulder an unfair portion of this burden, and I will not do so willingly.

Regarding completeness, my union made educational quality an important part of these negotiations. Some of these concerns have not been resolved within the language of the tentative settlement. If I am being asked to give back in every financial category, which I am, then beyond the shared sacrifice I mentioned previously, issues regarding quality of education must be settled to my satisfaction before I can vote to ratify any contract.

In an op-ed piece published on Oct. 17, I called for negotiations to be carried out in good faith. The state system, rather than heeding my call, consistently disseminated disingenuous and misleading statements regarding these negotiations. Its intransigence and unfounded disrespect for the representatives of my union, and by extension towards this faculty, was appalling. Many examples of this pointless obstinacy can be found in the union's negotiations bulletins on the Web at www.apscuf.com/contracts/index.html.

My no vote is a statement of support for my union, and a message that contracts should be forged via mutual agreement and cooperation, not decree. I am prepared to do what is necessary to achieve a fair settlement, not only for our faculty, but also for the citizens of this state. I am ready to stand up for quality of education, for fairness, and for doing things the right way. Too often, those at the top ask for a sacrifice from those below them, while being unwilling to make the same sacrifice themselves. I call on all concerned to share the burden.

I want my colleagues to join me in voting against this agreement. I believe a ''yes'' vote on this contract will send a message to the state system that its hostile demeanor during the bargaining process and lack of concern for the quality of the higher education we offer is acceptable. It most certainly is not.

To the management of the state system: Reverse course now, and work with us to provide the best education to our students that we possibly can. This proposed contract, and the acrimonious atmosphere surrounding these negotiations, can adversely affect our institutions' ability to attract and retain faculty of the highest quality. The future of these institutions depends upon the quality of our faculty, and everyone's ability to work together. Join us in forging a positive future for our institutions.

Daniel Spiegel, Ph. D., is an assistant professor of computer science at Kutztown University. His e-mail address is spiegel@kutztown.edu.