Progress with contracts

Do you hear that? That is the sound of progress at MHCC!

Two out of three labor contracts have been settled.

The Full-Time Faculty Association and MHCC administration finally reached an agreement Friday, after almost a full year of formal negotiations. The part-time faculty’s contract was ratified in mid-October.

Tambi Boyle, chair of the full-time faculty union, said this has been one of the longest negotiations cycles she has been a part of — including the pre-session meetings that began in November 2012.

Contract negotiations are never easy, and almost always run long, so it’s great to see an actual resolution.

We at The Advocate extend a pat on the back for avoiding the turmoil that accompanied the faculty strikes and frustrations at Mt. Hood during 2010–12. We know that sounds like a modest compliment — to not let one of the worst possible things happen during a contract negotiation. But hey, that was a terrible time for the students and faculty, so it’s great that the college doesn’t have to suffer that again.

However, there is still one last hill to climb (so close, yet so far away): The classified employee contract is still in the mediation stage.

We want to see the full-time faculty contract ratified and the classified association’s contract agreed upon in a timely manner.  It’s great that some progress has finally been made, but can we speed it up?

These negotiations have seriously dragged on. We understand, contracts take time and they should be done right, but this process has taken far too long and has inappropriately occupied the already strained schedules and psyches of Mt. Hood employees. It adds all kinds of excess stress and tedium to their routines.

Faculty members had to leave their classrooms in order to spend time working on a contract and classified employees must continue to leave their desks.

Let’s finish the remaining contract debate so that employees can get back to their jobs without worrying about sputtering talks and to be there for the Mt. Hood students.

So, MHCC administrative team, it’s time to compromise. It’s time to understand where both sides are coming from, get back to business and get back to work. Thank you!