LCC blames budget shortfalls
The college plans to eliminate hundreds of part-time workers, according to Lane Community College’s administration and leaders of the Lane Community College Employee Federation.
President Margaret Hamilton sent an email addressed to all employees on March 24. In it, Hamilton expressed that LCC is not immune to the effects of COVID-19. She then went on to claim that LCC’s next step is the most difficult step they will be forced to take.
The email to staff and faculty stated that “we are at a point where the external safety net is greater than our financial ability to continue supporting temporary timesheet hourly positions in the near future. These include 277 casual timesheet, or C3, positions; and 99 Learn and Earn, or C4, student positions.”
According to Chief Human Resource Office Shane Turner, those 277 C3 positions and 99 C4 positions account for every C3 and C4 employee.
“It is my fervent hope that we will be able to rehire some of these positions as the pandemic subsides and operations eventually return to normal,” Hamilton explained in the email.
“Until then, I am committed to protecting contracted employees as long as possible in fulfillment of our collective mission to provide education and training to our students and community.”
These decisions follow Governor Kate Brown’s directive that made changes to the structure of classrooms. “In-person delivery of courses can only take place in the health care disciplines,” Turner said via email.
These actions were done swiftly and without discussion with the Lane Community College Employee Federation — the union that represents all part-time employees.
Frankie Cocanour, the president of the LCCEF, said no discussion was had with the leadership of the LCCEF prior to the decision being made. “In fact, just the opposite, on March 12 the college agreed to provide continuation of wages for all classified employees during a closure,” Cocanour said.
The agreement was made to give protection to the members of the LCCEF. The third point in the agreement explicitly stated all employees should receive their regular compensation for their normally scheduled hours if the school closes due to the current pandemic. The agreement was signed by Shane Turner and Frankie Cocanour.
The group of workers that are hit hardest from these cuts have few resources at their disposal.
“Unfortunately, the group of employees that have been targeted by administration have no job protections under our current contract but LCCEF is negotiating with the college to secure rights for bargaining unit employees to be able to apply for internal positions, have access to unlimited tuition waivers through spring 2022, and to be recalled if the positions are reopened,” Cocanour said.
The global pandemic has put LCC in a financial bind, and yet in a board meeting on March 18 a document shows LCC was expecting a 12% enrollment increase compared to spring 2019.
This report no longer stands as true. “The report to the board was correct as of the meeting. As of Monday [3/23], it was flat,” Turner said.
LCC is experiencing financial peril in more ways than enrollment.
“All CTE labs can’t be offered. Culinary arts, welding, automotive, etc. The financial hits are varied,” Turner said. “It’s reduced occupancy at Titan Court [LCC-owned apartments] because international students have left or aren’t coming because of travel restrictions, it is an anticipated $1.5 billion dollar hole in the state budget that will result in cuts to existing state apportionment. It is really hard to overstate how fast and dramatically things have changed.”
This administration has expressed their difficulty coming to this decision. “We owe a debt of gratitude to our timesheet employees. Each has made valuable contributions to Lane. Their jobs started as a means to get extra work done, but each person became a member of the Lane family,” Hamilton said.
