LCC employees ponder strike, stage rally Tuesday Sept. 20

Lane Community College Employees Federation (LCCEF, the classified staff union) is having a rally 5:15 pm, Tuesday, Sept. 20 outside the second floor of of Building 3 on the LCC main campus.

The LCCEF represents essentially all non-managerial and non-faculty staff at the college: Custodians, administrative support staff, public safety officers, IT staff and more. According to the LCCEF, “The Board of Education will be inside Building 3, in Executive Session, preceding their September Board Meeting, which starts at 6:30.”

LCCEF union president Bob Baldwin says there will be a possible strike vote in October.

Baldwin said in a statement: “Since February we have attempted to have a meaningful dialogue but there has been a total unwillingness for any movement or compromise from the board. They have placed personal politics over the good of the college.”

LCC board of directors Vice Chair Rosie Pryor says the board has to balance the needs of employees with needs such as keeping tuition low for students. She says the “good news is it is all a process and negotiations haven’t broken down from our perspective.”

Pryor says she thinks a rally is great, calling Lane employees “passionate” and “dedicate.” She’s optimistic about negotiations, Pryor says, and there is another mediation session later this week.

Full disclosure: EW editor Camilla Mortensen teaches a journalism course at Lane.