Union negotiating for better adjunct pay at FVCC

The union representing adjunct teachers at Flathead Valley Community College continues to advocate for higher teacher pay as a third year of negotiations with the college begins.

Adjunct staff are hired on a semester basis, meaning their position is re-evaluated before each new season of courses.

FVCC is made up largely of adjunct staff, according to college President Jane Karas. She said there are 120 adjunct employees at the college and 53 faculty members. Of those adjunct teachers, 64 are union members.

FVCC adjunct instructors are among the lowest paid staffers within the Montana University System, according to a March 23 Adjunct Action newsletter published by the Adjunct Faculty Union. Its adjuncts currently are paid $575 to $759 per credit, compared to Miles Community College’s adjunct pay of $1,112 per credit and Dawson Community College’s pay of $1,146.

Karas said she doesn’t have an expectation of when the negotiations will be completed. She said so far, the college has met with the union eight times since negotiations began in April 2014.

“Every negotiation is unique and we will continue to work together to reach a mutually agreeable negotiation,” Karas said, adding that faculty union negotiations also are underway.

Adjunct Faculty Union Secretary Marita Combs said the last contract agreement in 2012 gave a roughly 3 percent pay increase.

“Our union’s bargaining approach is a spirit of working with FVCC in a positive way to reach an agreement,” Combs said. “Even though it’s been long, I’m not discouraged.”

According to a 2015 Adjunct Action report, the union is requesting 80 percent of a full-time faculty professor’s base rate pay, divided by 30 and then multiplied by the number of credits assigned. The current requested pay increase would give adjunct staff $864 per credit.

The union also requested a higher stipend for classes canceled within a week of the first day of class due to low enrollment — from $30 to $250. It also is pushing for improved tuition waivers for family members and the ability to accumulate unused sick leave.

Reporter Katheryn Houghton may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at khoughton@dailyinterlake.com.