The head of Pennsylvania's 14 state universities wants 8,000 unionized employees systemwide to forgo raises scheduled for next year so the schools can address a $49 million budget shortfall.

Chancellor John Cavanaugh made the request in recent days to the leadership of unions with which the State System of Higher Education bargains directly. They represent professors, coaches, campus police officers and security guards as well as staff working in admissions, financial aid and residence life.

The schools, among them California, Clarion, Edinboro, Indiana and Slippery Rock universities in Western Pennsylvania, already pared millions from campus budgets in a bid to hold next year's tuition increase to a minimum, State System spokesman Kenn Marshall said.

There is increasing concern about next year's state appropriation given word that a deficit in the state budget, estimated at $1.5 billion earlier this fiscal year, could in fact reach $3.2 billion, Mr. Marshall said.

"The situation, if anything, is considerably worse than it was in October when we made our budget request to the state, and it's significantly worse than in February when Gov. Rendell proposed flat funding for us," he said.

The State System already has frozen salaries next year for all non-union employees including campus presidents and the chancellor. That, combined with a freeze covering the 8,000 union workers, could plug about $35 million of the $48.8 million gap in next year's $1.4 billion State System budget, Mr. Marshall said.

A tuition increase could cover some, but not all, of the rest of the deficit, officials said.

The State System brings in about $7 million for every percentage increase in tuition. Mr. Marshall said it's "extremely unlikely" leaders would use a tuition hike to completely fill the gap, but given some $200 million in budget cuts absorbed by the State System since 2001 "there's a limit to what you can cut without affecting academic quality."

The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties, which represents the largest share of the workers, issued a statement late yesterday after it and three other unions met with State System leaders on the matter.

It said the unions were willing to meet again but cited a lack of information, including the likely size of next fall's enrollment. It quoted APSCUF President Steve Hicks as saying the chancellor's request was premature since neither the size of next year's tuition increase nor the state appropriation for the 2009-10 fiscal year are known.

Union employees next year are in line for a 3 percent general pay increase plus other increases based on years of service, ranging from 2.25 percent to 5 percent, Mr. Marshall said.

"APSCUF has never been asked to open a collective bargaining agreement before, even in years when [the universities] absorbed cuts in state appropriations," Dr. Hicks said. "With federal stabilization money available to keep appropriation levels stationary, there is no need to consider such a drastic measure."

Mr. Marshall said State System enrollment won't be known with certainty until well after the July 1 start of the fiscal year, by which time raises will have taken effect.

"We're at least glad they were willing to sit down and talk with us," he said.

The State System currently has 112,500 students, and there are signs that enrollment growth this fall could exceed earlier estimates of between 1 and 1.5 percent, he said.