New Hampshire

Vt. Community College Faculty Wants Raise, Job Security in New Contract

The unionized instructors demonstrated Tuesday outside the offices of the chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges system

Members of the unionized part-time faculty from the Community College of Vermont’s 12 learning centers statewide demonstrated Tuesday outside the office of the chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges System, asking for raises and greater job security.

“We’re at the forefront of educating Vermonters,” said CCV adjunct faculty member Jill Mudgett, a humanities instructor.

Mudgett said the faculty wants pay boosts that would bring experienced community college instructors equal with or closer to what part-time peers make on campuses in the state college system.

They’re also looking for more assurances about their positions in a first-ever contract, Mudgett said.

“If we say yes to teaching a course, if we’re offered a course, and then that course doesn’t run, we don’t get the money for the course,” Mudgett said. “And we don’t know that we’re not going to be getting the money until usually about two weeks before the course starts. So it throws people’s budgets into chaos.”

Jeb Spaulding, the chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges System, pointed out the contract will be between the faculty and CCV, not the state colleges.

“When you look at the salaries for the CCV faculty, who we care very much for, they are already paid more than in New Hampshire, more than in Maine, more than the New England average, and significantly above the national average,” Spaulding told necn.

Spaulding noted that funding from taxpayers is comparatively low in Vermont, so he said CCV needs to operate in fiscally prudent ways.

“If salaries go up, there’s only one inescapable conclusion: that tuitions will go up,” Spaulding said. “And we are concerned that CCV remain affordable for our students.”

A mediator is working with both sides and has a June meeting scheduled. Until then, the bargaining teams are sharing proposals by email.

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