Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1512793
O C T O B E R 2 0 , 2 0 0 6 . The first day of the strike. Students drove circles around the campus, honking car horns in sup- port of Hartnell College Faculty Association's efforts to get a professional contract for instructors. The five-day strike came after more than two years of negotiations because of a lack of respect for faculty and intransigence on the part of the college board of trustees and management. Now, 17 years later, it looks like HCFA is heading down the same road, with members saying they hope for the best and are prepared for the worst. (See Bargaining Updates on page 38.) "We worked so hard to divert that strike," said Kelly Locke, who was on the organizing committee at the time. "All sum- mer and fall, all kinds of actions and offers. And at every special board meeting we were hopeful, then our hopes were dashed. We had to do it." Then, as now, it seems to be about respect. " They strung things out, their behavior was disrespectful. We were at impasse for so long and then they ignored the fact-finding ruling," said the 35-year veteran mathematics instructor. "Now, it is about respect again. They can afford our pro- posal and they are making the choice to NOT prioritize faculty salaries. And it looks like they are still ignoring our negotiations efforts." In 2006 "our students and community came out in strong numbers to support us! This showed that our community val- ues education and it gave us strength to know that we were not alone," said Leti Contreras, who was a third-year ten- ure-track mathematics instructor at the time. "Our students were active participants in the strike, advocating for them- selves and fighting for better learning conditions. Community members joined us on the picket lines and brought us water and food. Their kindness and support made me proud to be part of and to teach in this community." The strike provided an 11% raise, which bumped up the earnings for full-time teachers by between $6,000 and $7,000 a year, but still left salaries at the bottom statewide. Hartnell faculty salaries still rank last among the 14 area community colleges, and faculty have been working under an expired contract for over a year. Hartnell College and HCFA are heading to mediation in December, and HCFA members will be out in force to sup- port their bargaining team. They say Hartnell College can afford their proposal; trustees and management choose not to. Adding insult to injury, Hartnell College proclaimed col- lege faculty "number one" at the start of the school year yet announced their priority is to increase management salaries. HCFA's proposal includes cost-of-living increases and health benefits for part-time faculty. Hartnell College's 2006 Strike Remembered As Hartnell College faculty now fight for a fair contract, similar issues were at play 17 years ago By Cynthia Menzel Continued on Page 22 In 2006, as now, it's all about respect. Kelly Locke A news clip from 2006. 20 cta.org Feature