Strike looms for MHCC teachers | Schools

Teachers at Mt. Hood Community College could go on strike soon.

Wednesday night, faculty members voted to allow its bargaining team to authorize a strike.

The college's board says its offer is more than fair in the face of a $5.5 million budget shortfall.

But the faculty believes the offer cuts too much from salary, benefits, and working conditions.

The teachers would have to provide 10 days notice before going on strike. The college could also give the union five days notice of its last and final offer. If that isn’t accepted it plans to bring in replacement teachers.

A public event organized by students in relation to the possible strike took place on Thursday at about 4:30 p.m.

Students said they are concerned their education is at stake and that negotiations have broken down. They want both sides to go back to the bargaining table.

One sticking point is overtime pay for instructors teaching extra classes and summer classes. The college also wants teachers to pay a percentage of their health care costs rather than an increased dollar amount proposed by the teacher’s union.

Mt. Hood’s board chair, Brian Freeman, said with rising enrollment and shrinking support from the state, something’s got to give.

“We can’t pay money we don’t have and we can’t – we have to be fiscally responsible,” he said. “We have to keep the lights on; we have to keep the building from cracking apart and at the same time pay a fair wage in salary. We’re doing our best to balance.”  

“I’d understand that, but there’s also – if you look at the budget – anyone with a critical eye can see that there’s other places that it can be pulled from besides just instruction,” said student Melinda Lotspeich.

If there is a strike, it would be the first of its kind. There’s never been a strike at any community college in Oregon.

KATU News reporter Bob Heye contributed to this report.