We began mediation on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. Administration immediately insisted on passing only confidential proposals, which would have barred us from sharing information with membership, or with our FCE colleagues who were also in mediation down the hall. We refused to bargain on those terms (as is our right according to the mediator) and it wasn’t until 1:00 p.m. that we finally received a proposal from the College.
You can click the image or the link below for a brief video update on mediation.
Mediation Update Video from your Bargaining Team!
Administration’s proposal was not materially different from what they have already offered. The first year of Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) remains 0.35% and is not retroactive. The second year, COLA would be conditional on statewide budget cuts that will be announced in coming weeks; if cuts are lower our COLA would be higher. We understand the uncertainty and stress of budget cuts, and we are not opposed to structuring a COLA in this way, but even in admin’s best-case scenario, COLAs in year 2 would be only 0.5%, with $0 allocated to the 28 other proposals we’ve put forward.
We are very literally at an impasse.
Administration has refused to work with us on the budget at all – even after we identified areas where we have already saved the college money. This is no longer about finances. It is about management digging in their heels and defending their budget priorities at the expense of instructors, academic professionals, and students.
Both FFAP and FCE officially declared impasse today. Now, all parties have seven days to submit “best and final offers,” though we plan to continue mediation as we build pressure towards a strike. Please take a moment to read our FCE/FFAP Joint Press Release.
FFAP has not declared impasse since 1986. We do not come to this point lightly. Declaring impasse is not a tactic we reach for – it is a last resort. But our hand is being forced by an administration that has refused to meaningfully engage, share information transparently, or bargain over solutions that protect jobs, working conditions, and students. Administration can end this at any time by returning to the bargaining table, engaging with our proposals, working with us on the budget, and choosing collaboration over stonewalling.