We made some progress during mediation on March 9, though the two sides remain far apart. Our team was at Climb until 7:30pm and we’re back at the table tomorrow morning. So this update will be brief!
First, the good news. We reached a tentative agreement on 2 items:
- Faculty and AP Compensation Workgroup FFAP and PCC Administration agree to form a joint workgroup including equal representation from FFAP, FCE, and Management, with the goal of analyzing the Trupp study and developing a proposal to be introduced and bargained during the 2027 successor agreement.
- Part time faculty health insurance contribution shall be prorated based on the part time faculty’s FTE (as calculated at the end of each academic year) when compared to 3.0 FTE for full time faculty for a minimum contribution of 65%.
We are still far apart on the big-ticket economic items, though we did move slightly closer together on COLA:
| March 9 proposal | 2025-26 | 2026-27 |
| Management | 1% (not retroactive)(from 0.5% / not retroactive) | 1%(from 0.5%) |
| FFAP | 3.25% retroactive to Sept. 1, 2025)(from 4.25% retroactive to Sept. 1, 2025) | 3.75% (from 4.5%) |
Today’s movement shows that the pressure faculty and APs have been building is having an impact. Management is clearly responding to the strength and unity we all have demonstrated. They have signaled openness to working with us on other issues, such as pay for special knowledge and skills including advanced degrees and bilingual skills. We hope to continue building on this progress tomorrow.
We explored the idea of making monetary concessions in exchange for Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs)s to preserve course sections and revisit decisions around program closures. Management was not open to these proposals today, but we will continue pressing for solutions that protect both faculty jobs and student access.
This is not an exhaustive list! There are lots of moving parts and we will share more as we are able. With the strike deadline approaching, the pressure we maintain right now matters. Continue preparing, talking with your colleagues, and be ready to stand together if management does not come to mediation tomorrow with a fair and reasonable agreement. Our focus remains on securing a fair contract for our members. Stay strong!