Oregon Coast Community College and its staff and faculty have settled contracts resulting in wage increases of more than 30 percent over five years.
The American Federation of Teachers-Oregon bargains for full- and part-time faculty and classified employees, but each employee group has its own contract.
The college and the union settled new five-year contracts July 17 retroactive to 2023. College administrators and union negotiators had been bargaining since April and then met in mediation for 13 hours July 2-3.
Key elements in the settlements include a combination of length-of-service increases and cost-of-living adjustments totaling 31 percent over five years, the college said in a news release this week. This includes a 6 percent increase retroactive to July 1, 2023, and a 10 percent increase effective July 1. The unions and college agreed to 5 percent total increases in 2025, 2026 and 2027.
For part-time faculty, the college said it agreed to 21 percent cost-of-living increases combined with a 2.5 percent length-of-service increase for a potential increase of 33.5 percent over five years.
The college has 105 employees, including 10 full-time faculty, 43 part-time faculty, 31 classified staff and 21 people working as administrators, deans or directors who are not in a bargaining unit.
In its settlement announcement, the college said it spends 67.5 percent of its $20 million yearly budget on personnel, including a benefits package to any employee working more than half-time. Employees receive 13 paid holidays and a minimum of 12 paid vacation days and two paid personal days plus a health insurance benefit.
“We bargained in good faith and will continue to do so in future years, recognizing the constraints we face as arguably the smallest community college in Oregon – as well as our responsibility to prepare for uncertainty in the broader economy in the future,” said OCCC President Birgitte Ryslinge, who is retiring this year. “The college can use only two revenue sources to pay for compensation and benefits– taxpayers and through student tuition. We have responsibility to both groups, and particularly to keep college affordable …”
Oregon Coast Community College is the smallest of Oregon’s community colleges, with 2,000 people enrolled in some sort of classes each year and a student full-time equivalency of almost 500. It’s main campus is in Newport with satellite branches in Lincoln City, Toledo and Waldport. In May, voters approved a $33.6 million bond to finance the construction of a skilled trades center and for upgrades and security projects at its four campuses.