LCCEA President’s Update — October 12, 2026

Posted on October 12, 2026 by LCCEA

LCC Faculty Colleagues –

As we head into week three of the term, please find some updates below on our new contract, a possible separation incentive, local issues impacting our campus, statewide updates including HB 4124, and more.

Local Updates

New Contract with Class Size Appendix

Our contract is finalized and fully signed! We are collaborating with the Administration on getting printed copies for faculty. In the meantime, please find it on our union website at: https://lccea.org/contract/ or here. You will see that salary schedules with our increases each year are included, and there is an appendix with class size maximums. Please note that class sizes must be lowered due to safety, external accreditation requirements or regulations, or classroom capacity, in which case class sizes will be lower than the maximums listed in the appendix. Similarly, if faculty choose the “525 weekly student contact hours” method for lecture classes, class sizes will be larger for the individual faculty member in exchange for fewer total sections to teach – please note this option is only allowed if the faculty member agrees to use this workload method.  For more details on updates to the contract, please see this summary document. In addition, you can find an instructional workload calculator at: https://lccea.org/membership/tools-and-calculators/ 

Bargaining: Possible Separation Incentive

Our LCCEA Bargaining Team members – Amy Beasley, April Myler, Peggy Oberstaller, Rick Riordan, and I – are negotiating a possible separation incentive for contracted faculty with the goal of mitigating budgetary challenges that could otherwise result in layoffs. We advise contracted faculty contemplating retirement or resignation to refrain from providing notice to HR or their dean until it is determined whether there will be an incentive available. If you have not done so already and are considering leaving LCC, please email lccea@lanecc.edu or lccfacultyunion@gmail.com as soon as possible.

Welcome Our New Grievance Chair!

Please join me in welcoming our new, highly competent Grievance Chair, Gerry Meenaghan, who, together with the Grievance Team, is here to support all faculty with contract questions and assistance in seeking remedies when a contract violation occurs. The team will offer more Know Your Contract workshops this year.

Lockdown Safety Committee

Based on our new Article 42 in our contract, a college committee charged with developing a safety implementation plan to improve campus safety in the event of a lockdown is forming. Thank you to our faculty representatives Don Easton, Jeff Lanz, Tammy Salman, and Rand Ware serving on this important work group.

Campus Conditions

Campus conditions and morale remain challenging for all employee groups. The impacts are tangible. 

Manager Departures During the Summer

Besides the overwhelming low morale evinced by the Gallup poll* of all employees, a significant number of managers, including trusted and respected ones, have left LCC or were otherwise let go or pushed out over the summer. At least nine have left since June and at least ten total since March, which represents 15% of all managers who are no longer at LCC. Underlying these departures are concerns and lack of confidence among middle managers about the upper administration. (See Appendix for more on Gallup poll results.)

Speech Suppression

In addition, please see my Board statement sent to all faculty from October 7 regarding suppression of speech that has impacted LCC student Richard Riordan who courageously filed suit against the college and has been reinstated to campus by a Federal judge –one welcome step toward justice. Other documents now in the public record indicate that the impetus for the unlawful barring of student Ricahard Riordan stems from concerns expressed by Board Members Steve Mital, Kevin Alltucker, and Julie Weissman as well as President Bulger – fears the federal judge deemed “hyperbolic and grandiose,” finding the student poses no legitimate safety concern. The Federal judge hearing the case predicts that Richard will most certainly prevail on his First Amendment claim, and wrote in his order that what LCC did, “looks much like blacklisting.” The judge also wrote that LCC’s misrepresentation of the student’s actions “approaches dishonesty.”

Due to recent censorship by the LCC Administration, we have added new pages to our union website where we will share LCCEA Reports to the Board of Education and other information for the public at: https://lccea.org/lccea-reports-to-board-of-ed/  We will continue to push for the publication of all reports and written public comment on the Board agenda. Thank you to Board Chair Jesse Maldonado for advocating that all reports and public comment be properly posted with the Board’s agenda.

Planned Real Estate Deal Exposed

In more news, in September LCC Board of Education Vice Chair Jerry Rust held a town hall and other events in Florence shedding light on the LCC Administration’s plan to seek to change the title of an LCC-owned ten-acre parcel that is adjacent to the LCC Florence campus. The LCC Administration quietly, without any public meeting discussion, sought to remove a restriction on the deed that the land be used for educational purposes so that the land could instead be sold and/or used for a housing development. Thank you to Jerry Rust for bringing this issue to light and engaging the Florence community to refocus the Florence campus on educational needs. This is reminiscent of the Titan Court** apartment building debacle, which has been an albatross on the LCC budget for years. (See Appendix for more background on Titan Court.)

What can we do about these conditions?
We have the power to change them. Together! Read on…

Building Our Future Together

Board Of Education

At our recent all faculty union meeting, faculty were unanimous in agreement that the Board of Education is not functioning well. Fortunately, this is temporary! Public elections for the Board take place in May every other year, and all the voters of Lane County will have the opportunity to elect four Board members in May 2027. The seats currently held by Kevin Alltucker, Jesse Maldonado, Steve Mital, and Zach Mulholland will be up for election. It is unknown at this time who among these Board members will seek reelection. LCCEA committee members will be conducting interviews with potential candidates for endorsement. Thank you to our Legislative and Political Chair, Rosa Lopez, for leading this important endeavor. Stay tuned for more!

Launching our Future 

We do hold our beloved LCC in our hands, and together, we can and will transform it for the common good. As with our solidarity and organizing success in our contract campaign, the power and promise of our collective future are bright!  Our officers have established the LCC Faculty Political Action Committee to support pro-education candidates and issues in our local community, including for the Board of Education. Please consider making a one-time donation of any amount or a monthly donation of $10 or less to the LCCEA PAC. All officers, plus more than two dozen faculty have already donated since the launch of our PAC in September! Together, we do have the power to make transformational change for our students, for our community, and for our future. 

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Local Engagement – Canvass With Friends!

What do union leaders, retirees, and volunteers do on a Friday night during election season? We canvass! Please wear your LCCEA swag and join these smiling faces of Wendy Simmons, April Myler, and I to get out the vote for the November election. Sign up here for canvassing fun this Friday with us! Bring a friend. We will join other volunteers at 200 E 11th Ave Suite 100 at 5 p.m. this Friday, October 16. We will be canvassing for Governor Kotek and other local candidates who support investment in our schools and community colleges. 

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And here’s a message about the urgency of this election from Field Organizer, Dylan De Baldo, “We are less than 30 days away from election day and Governor Tina Kotek is still behind in the polls. We need our community to join us in action to ensure we get Kotek re-elected. We need canvassers to join us weekdays at 5pm or weekends at 10am. Join us in ensuring we re-elect Governor Kotek.” Help protect working families and keep an anti-education, anti-labor agenda out of Oregon.

In addition, OEA is hosting canvassing for Kori Rodley, seeking election to represent Springfield in the Oregon House on October 25. Sign up here for Oct 25. These races are highly competitive and absolutely critical for the future of funding for LCC and local schools, among many other issues.

OEA Endorsements for the November Elections

Be sure to vote … and Vote Early! Mail ballots by October 27 this year! The following are endorsed by OEA. A full list of endorsements outside of Lane County are at: https://oregoned.org/2026recommendations

Federal

Senator Jeff Merkley***

Representative Val Hoyle***

Statewide Elections

Labor Commissioner:

Christina Stephenson

Oregon Legislature (within Lane County):

Senator Floyd Prozanski***

Senator James Manning***

Kori Rodley (House District 7) – competitive district

Representative Lisa Fragala***

Representative Nancy Nathanson***

Representative Julie Fahey***

*** took action, demonstrated support for LCCEA bargaining campaign and contract resolution

In addition, LCCEA endorsed Callee Ackland and the Eugene Clean Energy Fund Initiative.

Springfield City Council: Callee Ackland

Eugene Clean Energy Fund Ballot Measure  – vote yes!

As individual volunteers, we are also out canvassing for Governor Kotek who has demonstrated support for community college funding, maintaining open meetings law, and active attention to faculty, staff, and student needs right here at LCC. Join  April, Wendy, and Adrienne this Friday at 5.

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Statewide Updates

Oregon House Bill 4124

As we dive into this academic year, work continues at the HECC to assess the higher education system in Oregon and produce a report “on the condition of Oregon’s post-secondary education system and develop detailed recommendations for the design, implementation and operation of a viable and superior institutional framework” as required by HB 4124. Preliminary findings indicate that: 

  1. Colleges and universities are not meeting demand for the annual need for graduates with degrees/ certificates for jobs in the state. The state workforce needs more graduates.
  2. Fewer students are going to higher ed in Oregon, including adult learners. 
  3. Fourteen of the state’s seventeen community colleges are stable on three financial metrics, including LCC. (Source: Higher Education Coordinating Commission “Financial Sustainability of Oregon Community Colleges 2026” Report with image excerpted below)
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Ballot Initiative for a More Affordable Oregon in 2028

Our statewide organization, Oregon Education Association, and other state partner organizations have launched a ballot measure petition for a More Affordable Oregon! If successful collecting required signatures, the measure will be on the ballot in 2028. The proposal would establish a tax on Oregonians with a net worth of $30 million or more to support health care, food assistance, schools, and other essential services. It would also provide a refundable tax credit to eligible taxpayers earning less than $50,000 in federal adjusted gross income.This initiative reflects our commitment to strong public services and an Oregon where every family has the opportunity to thrive. More details will be provided as the campaign rolls out.

Closing Note

LCCEA is a democratic, member-led organization that works through the dedication and volunteer efforts of our amazing members. We thrive through our collective action, together. Please share your interest in LCCEA committees and opportunities here. 

Dates for Your Calendar

  • Friday Fun! Canvass with Wendy, April, & Adrienne, Friday 10/16 at 5. Sign up here 
  • OEA Canvass for Kori Rodley for the state legislature, Saturday 10/25 at 10  Sign up
  • Fall Movie Night – Monday, Nov. 16, 6:15 p.m Private LCCEA screening of Norma Rae (1979) at the Broadway Metro, family members welcome. Reserve your seat here on this form

With Appreciation and In Solidarity,

Adrienne

Appendix

*Gallup Poll Results

According to the Spring term Gallup poll, the college has very low rankings on numerous measures such as:

  • 5th percentile: If I raised a concern about ethics and integrity, I am confident my employer would do what is right. 
  • 5th percentile: I always trust my institution to be fair to everyone. 
  • 8th percentile: Everyone at this institution is treated fairly regardless of individual differences, such as ethnic background, race, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity. 
**Titan Court

The Titan Court apartment building in downtown Eugene was LCC’s last big real estate development – it was a multi-decade real estate deal that was operating in the red for ten years and sent LCC into debt which will not be paid off until 2036. The building provides market rate housing to students from LCC and other institutions despite the fact that the project required the LCC Foundation to form a limited liability company in order to receive federal tax breaks for building in a low-income community, according to research by Daniel Morris, Ph.D. Much of the debt from Titan Court when it was operating in the red was paid out of the LCC’s general fund; hence, the main fund that pays for instruction and student services was also syphoning funds to the housing development and its massive debt instead. This should be a lesson for our campus Administration and the Board of Education when considering any real estate projects for the future, including at the Florence campus and other LCC-owned properties.

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2025-2029 Contract Signed and Finalized!

Posted on October 5, 2026 by LCCEA

LCC Faculty Colleagues,

As of late last week, our 2025-2029 contract is now completely finalized and signed by all parties!

You can find it on the LCCEA website on the “Contracts and Agreements” page at: https://lccea.org/contract/   or directly at this link here (also attached).

We were able to achieve this contract through the organizing, participation, and solidarity of our members! Thank you for your strong commitment to our common goals and collective good!

Your LCCEA representatives are working with the Administration on printed copies as well.

Best wishes for a wonderful week 2 of the term!

In solidarity,

Your LCCEA Bargaining Team 

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Summer Solidarity Opportunities — ESSN Rally Series

Posted on July 27, 2026 by LCCEA

LCCEA Members —
Whether you are on campus or off, we hope you are enjoying the summer. The Eugene-Springfield Solidarity Network (ESSN) is sponsoring three labor – community actions with the first on this Saturday. Each one will include a rally and march beginning at noon. 

See attached flyer. 

• Saturday, July 25, 2026 “Money for Workers, Not War” at Eugene City Hall

• Saturday, August 29, 2026 “Money for Housing, Healthcare, and Communities, Not War” at Springfield City Hall

• Saturday, September 26, 2026 “Money for Schools, Not War” at Eugene City Hall

More details from ESSN:

This series of labor-community actions is grounded in long-standing labor principles: solidarity across the working class, advocacy for the common good, and the belief that public resources should be invested in strengthening our communities and improving the lives of working people. 

The purpose of these events is not partisan politics. The focus is on the growing economic burden that war places on working families and local communities. As workers continue to struggle with rising housing costs, healthcare expenses, inflation, and underfunded public services, labor has a legitimate interest in speaking out when public priorities fail to reflect the needs of working people. 

Throughout history, the labor movement has understood that workers bear the costs of war in many forms. Working families pay through higher prices, economic instability, reduced public investment, and the diversion of resources away from the schools, infrastructure, healthcare systems, and public services our communities depend upon. Workers also disproportionately bear the human costs of war. Time and again, it is the sons and daughters of working-class families who are sent into harm’s way, while the children of the wealthy and powerful are far less likely to face the same risks and sacrifices. This reality gives organized labor a legitimate and historic stake in speaking out about the consequences of war. 

These actions seek to create opportunities for organized labor to engage the broader community around shared concerns and demonstrate that unions are committed to improving the lives of all working people, not only their own members. 

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LCCEA President’s Update, June 9, 2026

Posted on June 9, 2026 by LCCEA

LCC Faculty Colleagues –

As we prepare to celebrate students at graduation on Saturday, please find some updates for summer and fall below on retro pay, salary increases for next year, insurance information, program and service cuts, inservice schedule, HB 4124, and tomorrow’s Town Hall supporting increased funding for public education at all levels.

Retro Pay, Salary Increases, and New Contract

Look for retro pay on your June 25 paycheck. In addition, increases from 3% COLAs, compounded with 1% part-time pay parity adjustments, and the new 1.5% longevity step at the top of all the salary schedules will take effect for the 26-27 year. For faculty working in summer, these increases will be in effect on summer paychecks. For faculty not working in the summer, increases will go into effect in Fall.

In addition, your Bargaining Team continues to work diligently with the Administration as we finalize the full contract document so that it will be available to all faculty and managers. Thank you to April Myler, Peggy Oberstaller, Gerry Meenaghan, and Russell Shitabata for ongoing dedication and service to all faculty this term!

Insurance Open Enrollment – Mandatory this year

OEBB open enrollment will take place between August 15 through September 15 and will be mandatory again this year. All faculty who are eligible for insurance will be required to make plan selections during the open enrollment period. 

Thanks to our successful contract campaign, employee contributions to insurance will remain effectively flat for next year, with minimal increases beginning in October to out-of-paycheck contributions (e.g., less than $5 per paycheck more for full-family insurance and a lower increase for other insurance tiers). If not for our new contract, faculty with family insurance, for example, would be paying $342 more per month or more than $4100 per year to maintain the same insurance plan. Thank you to everyone for standing in solidarity for a fair contract.

In addition to the same plan offerings that we currently have (i.e., Moda 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and Kaiser 1), the LCCEA Insurance committee has added two additional options: Moda 6 and Kaiser 3. These are HSA-eligible plans for faculty comfortable with much higher deductibles who wish to take advantage of the tax savings provided with HSA accounts. Our new contract language requires the College to make a contribution to the HSA account in the amount of the difference between the cost of the HSA-eligible medical plan and the cost of Moda plan 1 (i.e., the base plan). IRS rules prohibit having both an HSA and Section 125 account, so faculty who choose the high deductible HSA-eligible medical plan will receive college contributions to the HSA account but may not have a Section 125 account. Only faculty members comfortable with paying high deductibles should consider Moda 6 or Kaiser 3 with the HSA option.

While HSA plan options will be of benefit to some faculty comfortable with paying high deductibles or with other double insurance coverage, we anticipate that the vast majority of faculty will continue to choose the regular options for insurance (i.e., Moda 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and Kaiser 1). Section 125 accounts will continue to be available for these regular plans with the same College contributions as last year.

Information on insurance can be found on the OEBB website, including a benefits comparison for all OEBB plans. Thank you to Tawnya Gillespie and Rick Riordan for Co-Chairing the LCCEA Insurance committee!

In-service Schedule 

Please see the In-service schedule below. LCCEA will host a welcome back event after work on Thursday, September 17. In addition, we will host a lunch for all faculty on Thursday, September 24, and the LCCEA union meeting will be in the afternoon on Thursday, September 24 as well. You are most cordially invited!

Monday, 9/14Faculty Connections (Contact Wendy Rose Aaron)
Tuesday, 9/15Class prep only, no other activities for faculty required
Wednesday, 9/16Class prep only, no other activities for faculty required
Thursday, 9/17Sabbatical presentations, FPD, LCCEA Fall Welcome Event after work
Friday, 9/18Class prep only, no other activities for faculty required
Monday, 9/21College In-Service Activities
Tuesday, 9/22College In-Service Activities
Wednesday, 9/23College In-Service Activities
Thursday, 9/24 College In-Service Activities in A.M.; LCCEA lunch and LCCEA meeting in the afternoon
Friday, 9/25 Class prep only, no other activities for faculty required
Monday, 9/28First day of Fall term classes
Note: 12 hours of Inservice will be dedicated to paid Canvas workshops or class prep in Fall 2026; part-time faculty may use 12 hours of inservice pay for these workshops and/or for class prep time

Updates on Program & Service Reductions

As reported in April, the Administration’s “budget mitigation plan” called for reductions of the following: 

  • One full-time library faculty position
  • Eliminating the Criminal Justice program (one full-time faculty position) and the Health Information Management program (two full-time faculty positions)
  • Reductions of non-instructional faculty coordination time, including three faculty in the Multicultural Center, one faculty member in the Gender Equity Center, one faculty member in ABSE, one faculty member in Course-Embedded Tutoring, and the Employee Wellness coordination time.

While all of the above have been reduced through Board of Education vote, some of the cuts have been reduced from the Administration’s initial plans, and eleven of the twelve contracted faculty who were impacted will retain 1.0 full-time faculty positions next year, with the twelfth still to be determined based on available class offerings. Thank you to Rosa Lopez, April Myler, and Gerry Meenaghan who have served on this team helping to ensure faculty rights are honored and to advocate for maintaining essential programs and services for our students.

There will be minimal impacts to sections available to part-time faculty in some departments and programs, which will be mitigated by an overall substantial increase in the part-time budget at LCC of $1.6 Million more for next year, which should result in expanded offerings and reduce the likelihood of mass class cuts like all the ones that occurred this year and whose effects are well documented by the Faculty Council Class Cuts Taskforce’s Report.

Lane County Education Workers – Save Our Schools TOMORROW, June 10

Lane County Education Workers, a coalition of local unions representing K12 through university educators of all types, will host a Town Hall to publicize cuts affecting our public education institutions and call on legislators to take action to amply fund education at all levels. Several local legislators will be in attendance. Please join colleagues from LCCEA, LCCEF, EEA, OSEA, GTFF, SEIU, UAUO and more to advocate for investment in public ed for the common good. See flyer here. 

Statewide News

As we wrap up this academic year, work begins tomorrow at the HECC to assess the higher education system in Oregon and produce a report as required by HB 4124. The bill specifically requires the following.  

The Higher Education Coordinating Commission shall conduct a study of the condition of Oregon’s post-secondary education system and develop detailed recommendations for the design, implementation and operation of a viable and superior institutional framework that: 

(a) Supports access to post-secondary education institutions for students across geographic location, including rural communities and other underserved populations; 

(b) Fuels regional and statewide economic development and employment opportunities; and 

(c) Improves the financial viability of each post-secondary education institution in Oregon and the post-secondary education system as a whole, including by addressing projected enrollment, increased personnel costs, changes in federal law or priorities, sectorspecific inflationary costs or other related factors.

A third party consultant conducted initial focus groups, resulting in this process document about the initial steps the HECC will follow in order to conduct this comprehensive study.  Another third party consultant will be hired by the HECC to convene an Advisory Group which will lead this work at the state level. I am honored to have been appointed to serve on this committee representing OEA and all education unions in the state and, together with the Executive Director of OCCA, will be one of two members with any affiliation with community colleges. While this work may ultimately lead to change for higher education in Oregon in the future, the initial bill is solely focused on a report to the legislature rather than determinations. The scope of the study is exceedingly broad while the scope of future change is unknown and could vary widely as ultimately determined in subsequent (post-2027) legislative sessions.

Union Updates & Opportunities

Please join me in thanking Joseph Colton for his service as LCCEA Grievance Chair. As Joseph goes on sabbatical beginning in Fall, we welcome our incoming Chair, Gerry Meenaghan. Under Gerry’s leadership, the team plans “Know Your Contract” information sessions for next year to help ensure faculty are informed about new rights and benefits under the contract. Stay tuned for more in Fall.

In addition, I hope you will extend a warm and robust thank you to Wendy Simmons, who after many years of unwavering service as the Action Team Chair and former union officer and Membership Chair, will be retiring from LCC but continuing to volunteer as an OEA Retired member serving on the OEA Community College Council. Thank you, Wendy, for your incredible dedication and unending team spirit!

LCCEA is a democratic, member-led organization that works through the dedication and volunteer efforts of our amazing members. Please share your interest in LCCEA committees and opportunities here.

LCCEA will be sponsoring a small group of member leaders to attend the UO Labor Education and Research Center “Summer School” conference August 14-16. Please complete this form for LCCEA members if you are interested in attending one of these events. 

Dates for Your Calendar

LCEW Town Hall, June 10, 4:30 p.m. Roosevelt Middle School Auditorium 

LCCEA Welcome Back Event. Thursday, September 17, 2026 after work

LCCEA Lunch for All Faculty,  Thursday, September 24 at 30th Ave. campus

Faculty Union Meeting, Thursday, September 24, afternoon

In solidarity,

Adrienne

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LCCEA President’s Update — April 13, 2026

Posted on April 13, 2026 by LCCEA

LCC Faculty Colleagues –

I’m writing with a few updates for all faculty on our new contract, salaries, Board governance, the Administration’s “budget mitigation plan,” and more.

New Contract, Implementation, and Retro Pay

After faculty ratified our new TA in early March by a 97.5% vote, the Board of Education also voted to ratify our new contract on March 18 at a special meeting, so it is now in effect. The Administration is working on a draft document to incorporate all changes, which LCCEA will review in full once available. Once finalized and agreed to by both parties, the complete new contract will be provided to all faculty. In the meantime, please consult this folder of agreements for precise contract language. 

The new salary schedules (see below) for this 25-26 year will be used beginning with the April 16 – April 30 pay period and will appear on the May 10 paycheck. [Update: HR has completed this work ahead of schedule and new salary schedules will be reflected in April 25 paycheck.] Retro pay from July 1, 2025 through April 15 will be processed by payroll and will be paid no later than the June 25 paycheck. We greatly appreciate the HR payroll staff who are working hard to implement both our new contract and the LCCEF contract for classified employees, which was ratified shortly before ours. In addition, LCCEA and the College are finalizing details of implementation to changes to Art. 35 (workload), which will be implemented beginning in Summer. As a result of this brief delay, all faculty working in Spring will receive a small lump sum payment, likely together with the retro pay on June 25.

Candidates on Your May 19 Primary Ballot

While LCCEA has not made any endorsements for the current primary races, I do wish to draw your attention to two important labor candidates on the May 19 Primary ballot. Jennifer Smith, the classified president of SEIU 085 at UO, is a well respected colleague running for Eugene City Council in Ward 3. Amit Kapoor, former LCCEA Vice-President for Part-Time faculty and instructor, is running for re-election as a Lane County Circuit Court judge for District 6. Amit taught in the Social Science division part-time while working as a public defender before initially becoming appointed as a Lane County Circuit Court judge by former Governor Kate Brown. I hope you will give these highly qualified candidates your consideration in the upcoming election.

Budget Mitigation Plan and April 22 Special Board Meeting

As you are likely aware the LCC Administration has put forward several iterations of a “Budget Mitigation Plan” to the Board of Education. For the Board’s March 18 work session, the Administration released more substantive information about the actual contents of the plan. In terms of programs and services with faculty impacts, the plan calls for reductions of the following: 

  • One full-time library faculty position
  • Eliminating the Criminal Justice program (one full-time faculty position) and the Health Information Management program (two full-time faculty positions)
  • Reductions of non-instructional faculty coordination time, including three faculty in the Multicultural Center, one faculty member in the Gender Equity Center, one faculty member in ABSE, one faculty member in Course-Embedded Tutoring, and the Employee Wellness coordination time.

Thank you to the dozens of faculty members who gave compelling public comment testimony, signed petitions, wrote letters, etc. on March 31 in support of these critical programs and services. While the Board of Education did ultimately vote to move forward with the plan, they have at least temporarily removed the Criminal Justice and HIM programs from the plan. In doing so, the Board affirmed their essential function in public oversight and support for a transparent, democratic process that involves the broader community, calling for a special meeting with time for public comment about the programs before they vote on their disposition. This Board of Education Special Meeting will be at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, shortly before the first meeting of the Board’s Budget Committee scheduled for 5 p.m. the first day.

In the meantime, LCCEA has provided this Cease and Desist letter to the LCC Administration because they are not adhering to our contract, nor state law, in moving forward with cuts that impact faculty. Unfortunately, the LCC Administration continues implementing the program cuts by, for instance, informing students and the accreditors (i.e. NWCCU) that the Criminal Justice and Health Information Management programs have already been suspended, despite the fact that the Board has postponed voting on these programs until April 22. These unilateral actions demonstrate a blatant disregard for the role of our publicly-elected Board of Education, further jeopardize LCC’s accreditation, and likely amount to more unfair labor practices under the law.

False Austerity and Faulty Assumptions

An examination of the premise on which the Administration’s budget plan is based reveals exaggerated expenses and underestimated revenues that contribute to an impression of scarcity and a false need for austerity. For example, the Administration’s most recent budget forecasting model calls for salary increases of 7% for each of the next two years, far exceeding the COLAs provided to faculty and classified employees. At the same time they estimate tuition revenue and enrollment growth at only 1% when enrollment growth was on a 7% positive trajectory last summer – until the Administration began cancelling more than 100 sections this year leaving hundreds of tuition-paying students on waiting lists for Winter and Spring terms this year. The decision to dramatically cut course offerings, like the one to increase management staffing levels by 10% this year, reflects the real causes of a tight budget. In addition, proposals to cut programs that generate net revenue will only exacerbate budget concerns. The HIM program generates $35,000 in net revenue annually while Criminal Justice generates nearly $100,000 each year. In short, eliminating these programs would not save money; instead cutting HIM and Criminal Justice would negatively impact the LCC budget.

Please plan to attend the Board of Education Special Meeting at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22 and look for more information from your LCCEA Action Team soon.

Solidarity and Organizing

Like our LCCEA Bargaining and Action Teams, I am heartened by the extraordinary efforts of support of union members. 96+% signed strike pledges, and hundreds of faculty, students, and community members participated in organizing activities during the bargaining campaign, which absolutely made a huge impact on our success in achieving a new contract with exceedingly strong ratification support. Our solidarity and our resolve through the campaign are an incredibly solid foundation for the future of our faculty, our union, our community, and our broader democracy.

In solidarity,

Adrienne

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