FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 27, 2026 CONTACT: Emily McLain press@oregoned.org
COCC Faculty Bargaining Moves Forward, But Key Compensation and Workload Issues Remain
BEND, Ore. — Following a rally and picket earlier in the week that demonstrated broad community support for members of the Central Oregon Community College Faculty Forum (COCCFF), another all-day state mediated bargaining session ended Friday night without an agreement. COCCFF remains committed to securing a contract that matches statewide community college peers in salaries and workloads. While the College’s offer on Friday moves closer to this objective, it is still not in statewide alignment with Faculty pay and working conditions at similarly-sized community colleges, especially where overload issues, summer rates of pay, adjunct pay, load percentages and other key workload priorities are concerned.
“Faculty have been asked to do more for years while falling further behind comparable community colleges in compensation and workload,” said Sara Henson, a professor of
Human Development and COCC Faculty Forum President. “We need the college to look at the full range of choices available, rather than presenting program cuts as the only option. We absolutely will not agree to a contract that will have dire ramifications for our students or impact the quality of life for our members.”
The bargaining team points to the College’s historical budget projections, noting that the College has projected a deficit in nine of the past 10 years while ultimately ending those years with a surplus. Before threatening program cuts, COCCFF urges the College to examine the assumptions behind those forecasts, including available reserves.
While both parties are now aligned on a starting salary, the College proposed a compensation schedule that promptly slows, causing more experienced instructors to once again fall behind their peers statewide. Faculty compensation has not kept pace over time, which has created recruitment and retention concerns at COCC. Faculty at the top of the salary scale have gone several years without cost-of-living adjustments, meaning some of the most experienced faculty are earning less than they did several years ago.
Workload is another major point of disagreement. Faculty representatives say COCC's workload structure requires substantially more work per load unit than comparable institutions and that overtime is compensated at a fraction of the regular rate. COCCFF’s Bargaining Team is also committed to ensuring Adjunct faculty are paid adequately for the work they do for the institution. Adjunct Faculty work up to .75 FTE, yet the College has currently proposed compensating them at only half the rate of full-time faculty.
“We are not willing to improve compensation for one group of faculty by maintaining inequitable compensation for another,” said Mindy Williams, an English professor and the COCCFF Bargaining Chair. “We are asking a straightforward question: What choices does the college have to invest in the people who teach and support its students?”
After more than nine months of negotiations, the Faculty Forum bargaining team remains committed to reaching a fair agreement that supports faculty, strengthens recruitment and retention, and protects the quality and breadth of educational opportunities available to COCC students. However, the union has issued a 10-day strike notice to the College board, should negotiations fail to deliver on these goals. The next bargaining session is scheduled for Oct. 2, preceded by an on-campus Faculty rally and ‘Last Chance’ picket on Oct. 1 at 11:45am in front of Coats Campus Center. Media is invited to attend.
“Faculty should not be forced to choose between fair compensation and the programs our students rely on,” said Enrique Farrera, President of the Oregon Education Association, in a message of support for members at COCC. “The support we have seen from legislators, students and families for our members at COCC this week has been inspiring, and I stand with them. There is clear agreement that our members deserve respect and appreciation, and there is widespread support for their priorities and a fair contract.”
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