COCC classified staff begin strike authorization vote; walkout would be the second in the state
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Unionized classified staff at Central Oregon Community College launched a strike authorization vote Friday morning to protest what they describe as poverty-level wages. The workers, represented by the Oregon Education Association, indicated they are willing to walk out to secure higher pay.
OEA said in a news release that the strike authorization vote will be underway through next Thursday and is expected to pass.
If the authorization is approved, it could lead to the second community college strike in Oregon history, following a walkout at Portland Community College that began Wednesday.
A strike may be called at any time once a vote authorizes the action, provided the union gives a 10-day notice. Union officials indicated a walkout could begin as early as the first week of April.
The union says COCC is considered one of the wealthiest community colleges in the state.
However, they said, classified staff at the college currently earn a minimum wage of $18.91 per hour. According to the MIT living wage calculation for Bend, a living wage for a single person with no dependents is $26.81 per hour.
The union is seeking a contract that would increase the lowest wage to $27.89 per hour by the end of the agreement. OEA added that such a pay level "barely meets the living wage standards for their area."
The classified workers declared an impasse in their contract talks ane mediation efforts last month.
That prompted COCC President Greg Pereira to tell KTVZ News in a statement that while the college is committed to reaching a "financially sustainable" agreement, it also "must balance compensation growth with long-term financial stability, in order to protect programs, services and tuition prices.
Union leadership highlighted a $4.5 million increase in the administrator salary pool since 2023 as evidence that the college can afford higher wages for staff.
Scott Dove, an academic technology specialist and president of the Classified Association of Central Oregon Community College, stated that the institution has the resources to meet these demands.
"By Central Oregon Community College's own analysis, they have more than enough resources on hand right now to immediately avert this strike and meet our modest wage demands," Dove said. "The reason they haven't is not because they can't, but because they don't want to.
"We have members who are actively experiencing food insecurity and who struggle to stay at COCC because they cannot afford groceries and stable housing on the poverty wages COCC pays us. The COCC board has increased the administrator salary pool by over $4.5 million since 2023. We are asking that they make a similar investment in their classified staff."
Classified staff roles at the college include counselors, administrative assistants, library assistants, custodians and food service workers. More than 90% of the classified staff have already completed strike preparation training with the union.
The Oregon Education Association represents more than 42,000 public educators across the state. The organization represents staff in various educational settings, from pre-kindergarten through community colleges.
