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Students join together to combat potential strike
The Advocate
With a possible strike nearing in the faculty contract dispute, student groups around campus have banded together as Quality Education Advocates (QEA) in a coalition to support MHCC instructors.
Their unofficial mission statement includes the support of the full-time faculty, demands of mediation between administration and full-time faculty association negotiators without the presence of a paid lawyer on the behalf on the administration and the request to not fire full-time faculty if they do go on strike.
The group began Monday at a meeting on campus with the arrival of various representatives from groups such as Associated Student Government and the Forensics Team as well as individual students who were concerned about the strike.
"As of yet, when thing get crazy, students don't have a forum. We're laying the groundwork from the bottom up to make this a legitimate forum," said Gabrielle Guerrero, a student who has been heading the meetings.
QEA has been planning events and protests since Monday's meeting during the afternoon as well as a 7 p.m. meeting that night at a bookstore in Portland. They continued on Tuesday as the group came up with plans for protest that included their presence at the budget meeting Wednesday night.
They also plan to participate in an ASG press conference scheduled today at 1-1:30 p.m. in the Main Mall as well as a walkout planned for 11:15 a.m. Tuesday.
Part of the student movement has included the now-public support of ASG for the full-time faculty.
"We did want to check out all sides and when we backed a side we wanted to back it fully. A force divided does not help the group as a whole," said Jackie Altamirano, ASG director of public safety and an ASG presidential candidate.
"Students are in a difficult situation," said ASG President Larry Collins-Morgan. "(Students feel) it's in the best interest of the institution to stand up for things that stand against equality and fairness," he added.
Darryl Broadsword, a physical education instructor, said of the strike, "The last time it (a strike situation) happened this way in 1999, the lawyer went away and the contract was brokered between the two sides with the help of Gresham City Council."
Collins-Morgan also quoted Martin Luther King Jr., saying, "If there's a threat to equality anywhere, its a threat everywhere." Collins-Morgan emphasized non-violence and to keep protests peaceful.
— Kylie Rogers and John Tkebuchava contributed to this story.
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