Striking Clark College faculty reach tentative agreement; vote set
Update, 01-14-20:
Striking Clark College faculty members and their college administration have reached a tentative contract agreement.
The Clark College Association for Higher Education (CCAHE) union has scheduled a general membership meeting for 1 pm Wednesday at the student center in Gaiser Hall at the college. Union members will review the tentative agreement before taking a contract ratification vote.
The details of the tentative agreement will not be shared publicly until the CCAHE general membership meeting. Classes remain canceled Wednesday. The faculty strike began Monday, Jan. 13. CCAHE has more than 400 members, and the college has more than 12,000 students.
Faculty members at Clark College in Vancouver are on strike.
Since negotiations began 15 months ago in the fall of 2018, pay proposals from the interim college president and the Board of Trustees have fallen far short of what’s needed to continue attracting and keeping qualified, committed faculty for Clark College students.
Hundreds of striking faculty picketed at the college today.
“We are fighting for a fair contract that provides competitive pay for ALL Clark College faculty, including equitable pay for our part-time professors,” said Suzanne Southerland, a communications professor and president of the Clark College Association for Higher Education, the faculty union. "Our picket lines are strong, and our members are united."
Classes at Clark started Jan. 6. Four Clark College presidential candidates are scheduled to begin visiting the campus this week.
Southerland said Clark College Board of Trustees leaders Jane Jacobsen and Paul Speer refuse to explain why they refuse to offer faculty a fair contract and competitive pay.
CCAHE represents more than 400 Clark College faculty members, and the college has nearly 13,000 students. Visit www.CCAHE.org for more information.
