After a two-day strike and prolonged negotiations, faculty at Harrisburg Area Community College reached a tentative contract that union leaders characterized as a compromise prioritizing stability for students. The walkout followed multi-year contract talks focused on pay, curriculum control, class sizes and grievance procedures. College leadership had argued that some union proposals would impair the institution’s financial viability; the strike and subsequent agreement underscore the growing role of collective bargaining across two-year institutions and the leverage labor actions can produce in stalled negotiations. Community-college leaders should prioritize proactive bargaining timelines, early faculty engagement on workload and class-size standards, and contingency plans for instruction continuity. Trustees should also review compensation and staffing models to balance affordability with faculty retention and student success goals.