Central Oregon Community College Faculty Forum
For Immediate Release
June 12, 2026
Media contact: Rachel.Gumpert@OregonEd.org
Major Labor Dispute Set for Fall As Central Oregon Community College Fails to Resolve Contract Fight With Faculty Before Term Ends
In yesterday’s bargaining session, COCC Administrators proposed an “all or nothing” package miles apart from faculty needs, putting the college on track for major labor disruption in Fall term
Bend, OR - Despite Central Oregon Community College President Dr. Greg Pereira repeatedly signaling that he hoped to resolve the simmering labor dispute with COCC faculty before the end of the term, a disastrous negotiation session yesterday has ensured that the labor unrest will continue into the Fall term.
COCC faculty have been fighting for six months for a new contract that would lift their wages from being the worst in the state, reduce their extraordinarily long 5 year probation period (which is four years longer than the probationary period for Administrators), and beat back unprecedented attacks on their intellectual property. In a negotiation session yesterday, instead of resolving the dispute, proposals from COCC Administrators only widened the existing chasm on those issues.
Dozens of faculty members joined the final negotiation session of the term yesterday to observe in solidarity, as COCC Administrators put forward an “all or nothing” package that failed on every mark. Their package unilaterally struck numerous faculty proposals with no explanation or discussion, and would ensure COCC faculty remain catastrophically underpaid and overworked, with years longer on probation than Administrators, and permanent forfeiture of their intellectual property rights.
The failure of Administrators to make adequate movement on any issues impacting faculty ensures a larger labor standoff will be coming in to COCC in the new school year - and, it stung with particular frustration because it came one day after COCC Administrators proposed a 4% COLA for themselves, 3% more than they’re proposing for faculty.
“We are incredibly disappointed to be ending this school year with no resolution on our contract dispute, despite repeated statements from COCC leadership that settling our faculty contract this year was a top priority for the college,” said Sara Henson, professor of human development and President of the COCC Faculty Forum. “We are losing the ability to recruit and retain the faculty members whose expertise makes COCC a first choice pick for students, because the misplaced priorities of COCC’s Administrators have resulted in our college no longer being a first choice employer. COCC Administrators have decided to kick the can down the road to the Fall term instead of doing the work to find common ground now, which means we will start the coming school year with significant uncertainty and the potential for major disruption. COCC’s talented, dedicated faculty deserve better than the lowest wages and worst working conditions in the state, and the decision of Administrators to continue giving themselves record raises while allowing faculty to be driven out of our college by the lowest wage standards in Oregon has set us up for a major labor issue this Fall.”
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The Central Oregon Community College Faculty Forum represents 173 dedicated full time and adjunct faculty members at COCC. Stay in touch and get updates at: Facebook.com/COCCfacultyVoice and Instagram.com/COCCfacultyVoice.