PCC Faculty Approve Previous Year's Contract
After months of negotiations, PCC’s Faculty Association will take a vote within the week to approve a new contract for the 2008-2009 academic year that contains no retroactive changes.
The contract covers from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009, a period in which the college faculty worked without a contract. It is a status quo contract that lacks cuts in pay or reduction in hours for part-time, or adjunct, faculty members.
The 2008-2009 contract was put on hold as budgetary concerns arose and College President Paulette Perfumo resigned. The contract was again delayed during the board of trustees’ election.
The contract with a ballot was scheduled to be placed in faculty members’ mailboxes earlier this week. The final ballot count will be tallied on Friday.
"The contract is really a formality to conclude the last year, get it off the books and move on" said Roger Marheine, president of the FA.
According to Marheine, contrary to other labor unions, the FA can work effectively without a contract for as long as needed. The college and the FA have an agreement to honor all contractual stipulations such as payroll and grievances in lieu of a contract while negotiations take place.
During current school year, the faculty is again working without a contract and is starting a new round of negotiations for a two-year contract that would apply until June 30, 2011.
The FA hopes to make many changes to the next contract, including an early retirement option and more adjunct benefits according to their newsletter.
The early retirement option would provide many benefits to the college; claims the FA, including over a $1 million in proposed savings by reducing the overload in classes that faculty members take on each semester.
Also according to the FA newsletter, with an early retirement option, the college would be able to offer more classes at a similar cost by allowing the junior level or part-time faculty to take those class sections who are paid at least a third less than those who would retire.
"It’s a wonderful opportunity for the college to acknowledge the significant contribution that those faculty members have made over decades," said Marheine.
Another proposal that the FA hopes to negotiate includes changes for adjunct faculty members. The FA wants to include conference hours, health insurance, and job protection for them.
"The college hasn’t seen the importance of prioritizing our senior part-time faculty," said Marheine.
According to the FA, the next round of contract negotiations have been stalled by the board in favor of waiting for the appointment of a new president.
