John L. Braese
The Enterprise
ONTARIO – Teachers at Treasure Valley Community College are scheduled to meet Thursday to plan for a strike as negotiations with college administrators so far have yielded no agreement on major pay issues.
A strike would be the first at any community college in Oregon.
Representatives of the college administration and the Treasure Valley Education Association, the teachers’ union, met for talks with a mediator last Friday and Saturday and another round is scheduled in two weeks.
The clock is ticking because the college has declared an impasse. A 30-day “cooling off” period that started last Friday could end with the college imposing new pay conditions. Such a move would by law free the faculty to strike.
“If the 30 days are reached with no agreement, we would look at moving in a different direction,” said Dana Young, college president.
That move may make history . . .
