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Faculty contract impasse sets clock
ticking
The Advocate
The MHCC District board declared impasse Monday in the full-time faculty contract negotiations, provoking a variety of responses and sharpening the focus on the impact on students and the college as a whole.
According to a statement on the MHCC website, the board declared impasse "in an effort to protect students from possible faculty actions that may impact students' ability to successfully complete their coursework."
Seven days after declaring impasse, both parties must submit their final proposals to the Oregon Employment Relations Board, and 30 days after declaring impasse, the administration may impose their last best offer. At that point, with a 10-day notice, the faculty may strike, making March 26 the earliest day a strike may occur. Winter term ends March 18, and spring term classes begin March 28.
MHCC District board chairman Brian Freeman said the board's action was taken so there would be "no possibility of strike action until after winter term ends," and because "something else needs to happen or you could go on forever" with no resolution.
In addition to declaring impasse, the board agreed to more mediated sessions, according to a statement on the MHCC website. Two such sessions in January, where the parties sit in separate rooms but trade communications through a state-appointed mediator, failed to reach agreement.
No date has been set for another mediation session. The board has asked for a session on or after March 1.
Jack Schommer, the president of the faculty association, said the faculty association had previously sent a letter to the board requesting either face-to-face or mediated sessions."We've been very clear that that's what we want," said Schommer.
Larry Collins-Morgan, president of the Associated Student Government, was cautiously optimistic Thursday about the chance of renewed talks.
"They (the administration) want to open up talks," he said. " Whether that's true or not is one thing. But the idea of them wanting to open up talks is a good thing."
Sara Williams, the faculty's chief negotiator, said, "We're disappointed by the declaration of impasse. Nevertheless, we look forward to meeting with them to try to settle the contract."
The article on the MHCC website also said, "In order for the college to implement each of the faculty association's proposals, MHCC would be forced to increase tuition by $15 per credit hour."
MHCC President John Sygielski said, "If we choose not to continue bargaining with the faculty and instead close the $3.75-million gap with tuition increases, we could have to raise tuition by $15 to $16 per credit hour."
In "A letter to the students" posted on the MHCC website, the administration stated, "Unfortunately, the Full-Time Faculty Association has refused to do its part to help the college avoid a $5.5 million budget shortfall that we expected in 2010-11,"
But Williams said, "While the board may not be satisfied with our initial mediation offer, representing $900,000 of concessions, it's false to say 'we've refused to do our part'."
Sygielski said, "The college is seeking a compensation package that not only addresses the short-term budget deficit anticipated for 2011-12 but also establishes financial stability for the long term. To get through this tough time, we need full participation by the full-time faculty, which, by the way, I believe will happen eventually since the full-time faculty always helps the college when it is in financial need," said Sygielski.
In "MHCC District board declares impasse in faculty negotiations," posted to the MHCC website Monday, it is stated, "The college has emphasized the fact that MHCC full-time faculty are the highest paid faculty, as a whole, at all community colleges in Oregon, Washington and Idaho (Source: National Education Association data, April 2010)."
In response, Williams said the April 2010 data is out of date, and more recent comparisons of college contracts "show we're either third, fourth, or sixth, depending on how you count, but not first."
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