 |
|
|||||||
|
||||||||
|
|
Editorial: Take as prescribed....
Two steps forward, one step back. The administration and the full-time faculty have finally been able to agree on something, but we are still only a few days away from a faculty strike.
Much more work is needed in order to see an end to the contract negotiation drama.
We applaud both sides for making significant movement toward each other Monday. However, here is our prescription for MHCC to get back to normalcy.
As evidenced by their "mock funeral" on Tuesday, the faculty protested what they view as a lack of respect by the board and they are convinced the administration is not truly interested in economics. The Advocate really hopes they are wrong.
The faculty and administration have moved toward each other in all of the economic issues, and we understand the faculty's desire to hold fast on the non-economic ones. However, when it comes to Article 7, the issue of faculty rights, the dispute is really over one word. The faculty wishes to change the phrase "may give input" to "will give input." Is the faculty really going to strike over one word, if the parties are so close in the economic areas?
At the same time, it's one word. Why is the administration so adamant that the faculty cannot have this?
The board negotiator, Randy Stedman, suggested using the word "entitled," and this seems a reasonable compromise to The Advocate. Hopefully, the faculty's willingness to progress will reflect that.
In a second area of disagreement — whether the college should be able to hire subcontractors — Stedman's suggestion of giving the faculty a chance to submit a report to the board, on a case-by-case basis, of why the administration should not subcontract, is reasonable.
However, we can understand the position of the faculty. The board's reason for not accepting the faculty's proposal is there has not been any proof submitted that sub-contracting has been abused in the past. Regardless of whether it has ever been abused, we have a hard time believing the board doesn't truly understand the faculty's concern is not with what has happened, but with what could happen. As Jack Green, math instructor, stated very confidently Wednesday at the budget meeting-turned-bitch session, "The faculty will never let you subcontract out this college."
The second part of our prescription to nurse our college back to health is how to overcome the negative attention we are getting over this.
First, let's get a settlement before Thursday and NOT become the first community college to have a faculty strike in Oregon. Second, it's going to take some serious public relations outreach on the part of Maggie Huffman, plus a team effort from the administration and the faculty, to get out of this one. Form another committee, this time a Save MHCC Committee, committed to marketing and community outreach to increase enrollment instead of staring bleakly at projected flat enrollment figures.
Lastly, and this will be when MHCC really starts getting back to normal, the administration and faculty have to make a concerted effort to relieve the fears and misgivings of current students. The first two prescriptions won't work if your current students go away.
The Advocate implores the administration and the full-time faculty association to take their medicine as prescribed and call us in the morning.
The Advocate reserves the right to not publish comments based on their appropriateness.
Comments