2 days ago
FCC board expected to approve full-time faculty bargaining agreement
The Frederick Community College board of trustees on Wednesday is expected to approve a bargaining agreement for full-time faculty through 2028, which would end nearly two years of union negotiations.
The agreement addresses employee wages, workplace culture and time off for full-time faculty members.
About 100 college faculty members are represented by the union, United Academics of Maryland. The union, which has ratified the agreement, is a local affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers and the American Association of University Professors.
Once approved, the agreement will be Maryland's first full-time faculty community college union contract, according to Lindsay Sanders, the higher education organizer for the American Federation of Teachers.
After a Maryland law guaranteed collective bargaining rights for community college faculty and staff members, FCC's full-time members voted in August 2023 to unionize.
FCC faculty members for nearly two years rallied and advocated for shared governance and to remedy pay inequities, according to union leaders.
The FCC union voted to ratify the contract on May 20. On Wednesday, the board of trustees is expected to approve the agreement and both of the bargaining teams would sign it upon approval, according to Sanders.
'I expect the agreement to be approved,' FCC labor relations specialist Pamela Murphy said in a statement sent to The Frederick News-Post.
Sanders wrote in an email on Tuesday that she wasn't available, but suggested talking to Lindsey Blankenbaker, the northeast regional assistant director of organization and field services at the American Federation of Teachers.
Blankenbaker could not be reached for comment by phone on Tuesday.
A collective bargaining agreement is a legal contract that sets the terms and conditions of employment, including employee wages, working conditions and benefits.
'The concerted efforts of both negotiations teams since November 2023 were collaborative and resulted in an Agreement that will guide the work of FCC's full-time faculty moving forward,' Murphy said in a press release.
Murphy noted in the statement sent to the News-Post that while the negotiations happen in closed session and specific topics could not be addressed, 'the sessions were respectful and collaborative to address any disagreements.'
The agreement posted to the FCC board of trustees' online agenda for Wednesday's meeting shows specific details regarding leave provisions, benefits, reimbursement and compensation for full-time faculty of the college.
Additionally, by approving the agreement, full-time faculty members are prohibited from encouraging, participating in or condoning a strike.
The agreement says that full-time faculty members who violate that part of the agreement 'shall be subject to discharge.'
The collective bargaining agreement provides up to 10% raises for full-time faculty members in fiscal year 2026. Additionally, the agreement offers expanded leave opportunities, including floating holidays and wellness days.
The contract also establishes a four-step grievance and arbitration process, which is a formal way to address workplace complaints.
The News-Post reported in 2023 that Sue Johnson, then-president of the Frederick County Board of Education and a professor and former union organizer for FCC, said the idea came about amid allegations of bullying and harassment by former FCC President Elizabeth Burmaster.
After more than three years of protests and a no-confidence vote from faculty who had accused Burmaster of creating a culture of fear on campus, she left the college in 2021.
Annesa Payne Cheek was named president in February 2022 and replaced interim President Thomas Powell after a six-month search.
The agreement also outlines 'fair and transparent processes' for cutting positions, as well as how FCC policies are grievable.
'FCC faculty now have bolstered workload parameters, shared governance, compensation, job protection, academic freedom, leaves, intellectual property rights in an enforceable union contract,' according to a post from the FCC United Academics of Maryland Facebook page.
Murphy said in the statement that this agreement is the first negotiated at FCC.
'As such, there was a significant learning curve as to what subjects are required by law to be negotiated and what is not subject to bargaining, in addition to all that negotiations generally entail,' she said.
