Portland College Faculty Reach Agreement After 20-Day Strike

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According to the agreement, full-time faculty members will receive a one-time $5,475 lump sum to make up for lost wages.

The Portland Community College faculty union reached a tentative agreement with the college Tuesday, less than a week before spring semester classes begin on April 6, OPB reported. The agreement puts an end to a 20-day strike—the first in the college’s history—that the faculty union and the classified employees’ union began on March 11.

The classified employees’ union ended its strike last Wednesday, but faculty and administrators remained at odds over compensation for missed pay during the strike. According to the agreement, full-time faculty members will receive a one-time $5,475 lump sum to make up for lost wages. Full-time academic professionals will receive a $5,000 payment, and part-time academic professionals will receive a $1,400 payment.

In an online message, union leaders wrote, “The victory belongs to every single one of you!” The agreement also stipulates a 2 percent pay raise for faculty during the first year of the contract and a 3 percent pay increase in the second year.

College president Adrien Bennings announced the end of the strike in a statement.

“We are pleased to be moving forward and refocusing on our core mission of educating students and serving our community,” Bennings wrote. “At the same time, our hearts are heavy because we know that this agreement is so far outside of our budget that it will result in significant additional cuts in the future.”…Read more by Emma Whitford