MCCC professors picket at the entrance to campus.
MCCC and its faculty reached a tentative agreement for a new contract on Tuesday, Oct. 25.
The previous contract expired Aug. 23, 2016, and the faculty began the semester without a new contract.
After months of negotiations, the faculty began wearing black t-shirts and picketing outside of the college entrance at the beginning of October.
The contract outlines faculty work duties, responsibilities, work load, benefits, and salaries.
Both students and faculty were happy to hear that the nine months of negotiations had finally brought about a tentative agreement.
“Whoa! I’m glad the faculty’s hard work – all the meetings and picketing – has paid off,” said student Tanner Irwin.
“I wish it could have been done sooner, but I’m relieved that they’ve come to a decision,” said Chemistry professor Lori Bean.
“I believe it’s a good thing. We’ve got a lot of good staff here at Monroe County Community College and they deserve this,” student Bonnie Fetterly said.
Tracy Rayl, the chief faculty negotiator, and the chief negotiator for the college, Molly McCutchan, declined to share any details concerning the new contract until it has been approved by faculty and the college Board of Trustees.
The board has scheduled a meeting to discuss and ratify the proposed agreement on Monday, Oct. 31.
The faculty will meet to look at the agreement and vote on it Tuesday, Nov. 1.
