FILE - This Aug. 3, 2016, file photo shows the Central Oregon Community College campus with Mount Bachelor on the horizon in Bend, Ore. The classified workers union at Central Oregon Community College could strike as early as Thursday.
Andrew Selsky / AP
The union representing classified workers at Central Oregon Community College says it’s prepared to strike as soon as Thursday if the administration does not agree to wage increases.
The two parties declared an impasse in February.
The union said a significant portion of its members are facing food and housing insecurity under current wages. In a news release, classified union president Scott Dove argued other public employers in the Bend area have raised wages to address the rapidly increasing cost of living there, and Central Oregon Community College should do the same.
On their website, Central Oregon Community College leadership has maintained that agreeing to a significant increase would deplete reserves and could lead to service cuts and higher tuition.
The union said its members would receive strike pay during a work stoppage, and is prepared to strike indefinitely.
Classified workers include custodians, executive assistants, IT staff, enrollment, financial aid and veteran service specialists.
If the union does go on strike, it would be the second time community college workers went on strike in the state’s history. The first community college strike in the state’s history, Portland Community College classified workers, was tentatively resolved last week.
Separately, a tentative agreement was reached with Portland Community College faculty late Monday, ending the faculty union walkout.
Rebecca Hansen-White is a reporter with KLCC. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.
