LCC faculty colleagues,

Your LCCEA Bargaining Team met again today with the Administration for our sixth meeting on ground rules. 

We made considerable movement toward the college’s position. After believing we had met almost all the College’s interests through significant compromises, their representatives returned from a nearly 40-minute caucus without an updated counter proposal. They then shared specific concerns about our proposal language that they had never mentioned in detail before. We were able to immediately respond to clarify our language and offered to work together to reach agreement in the room.  The Administration declined, so we created a new proposal in ten minutes time in order to allay their concerns and meet their interests.  However, upon presenting this new proposal, the Administration was unable to make a decision before the end of bargaining and responded that they will get back to us by email tomorrow. 

We feel we have made every possible attempt to collaborate, address all their concerns, and meet their expressed interests. 

We will provide an update after we hear back from the Administration.

Your LCCEA Bargaining Team Leads:

Gerry Meenaghan

Adrienne Mitchell

April Myler

Peggy Oberstaller

Ryan Olds

Russell Shitabata

Kellen Wilson

LCC Faculty Colleagues,

Your Faculty Bargaining Team leads met with College representatives today for yet another preliminary meeting on ground rules. We do not have an agreement and will have to continue next Thursday for another three hour session to attempt to reach agreement. 

While we have made a lot of movement, the College has been unwilling so far to allow anyone to observe bargaining on Zoom unless they have an ADA accommodation. Given that the majority of our faculty are part-time; 50% of all courses offered at LCC are online; the norm on campus that virtually all meetings have a Zoom option; the fact that LCC has campuses throughout the County (e.g., downtown, Cottage Grove, Florence); and that the College recently allowed LCCEF members to observe their bargaining last year via Zoom and ours the year before, we are baffled and dismayed that the College seeks to constrain faculty members’ ability to observe.

We will continue this discussion again next week as we work on ensuring faculty have access to observe bargaining sessions both in person and on Zoom. 

Our updated schedule for bargaining sessions is as follows.

1. April 24, 1-4
2. May 8, 1-4
3. May 23, 12-2
4. May 29, 1-4
5. June 5, 1-4

Your LCCEA Bargaining Team Leads:

Gerry Meenaghan

Adrienne Mitchell

April Myler

Peggy Oberstaller

Ryan Olds

Russell Shitabata

What: LCC Faculty Union endorses pro-public education, pro-labor candidates Austin Folnagy, Devon Lawson, Jesse Maldonado, and Jerry Rust for LCC Board of Education
When: Special Elections Registration ends April 29; Ballot boxes open May 1 Close May 20
Where: Eugene, Oregon

LCCEA ENDORSES PRO-PUBLIC EDUCATION AND PRO-LABOR CANDIDATES AUSTIN FOLNAGY, DEVON LAWSON, JESSE MALDONADO, AND JERRY RUST FOR LCC BOARD OF EDUCATION

EUGENE, OREGON–The Lane Community College Education Association proudly endorses four candidates for the LCC Board of Education: pro-education, pro-labor candidates Austin Folnagy, Devon Lawson, Jesse Maldonado, and Jerry Rust. On Tuesday, candidates discussed their vision for LCC at a meet & greet at the Bier Stein on Willamette Street in Eugene.

“The future of our beloved LCC is on the ballot. The outcome of this election will determine whether Lane Community College continues to thrive as an open-access institution that serves the people of Lane County. Our message to the donors and anti-union interests making outsized donations to LCC Board candidates is clear: LCC is not for sale,” stated LCCEA President Adrienne Mitchell.

According to Mitchell, “Austin Folnagy, Devon Lawson, Jesse Maldonado, and Jerry Rust are candidates for the people, for our democracy, for progressive policy, and for justice on our campus and in our communities.”

Four seats on the Lane Community College Board of Education are up for election in the May 20 Special Election. Voter registration deadline is April 29 and ballot boxes open on May 1. The winners of each will serve four year terms beginning July 1, 2025.