UPDATED: Hartnell College faculty union declares an impasse in contract negotiations with administrators.

Contract negotiations between the Hartnell College Faculty Association and Hartnell Community College District administrators have failed after more than a year of trying to reach an agreement. The members of the HCFA on Monday, Oct. 2, filed for an impasse with the California Public Employment Relations Board, the union announced Tuesday.

UPDATE: The union was notified on Oct. 6 by a PERB official that the agency agrees an impasse exists and a mediator will be assigned to oversee negotiations. The announcement came a day after college administrators announced they disagree a mediator is necessary.

“We’re deeply frustrated that we couldn’t reach a contract settlement with the district management,” said Nancy Schur-Beymer, HCFA president, in a press release. “We have been reasonable in our proposals to provide a living wage for our faculty, who are the number one classroom resource for our students. We’ve done our homework, Hartnell can afford our proposal.”

The two sides negotiated three times in September, with hopes of reaching an agreement by the end of September. Now that the impasse is declared, the next step is for PERB to appoint an outside mediator to help both sides reach an agreement. In the meantime, faculty members will continue working under an old contract that expired in June 2022.

In a statement released by administrators, they said that they had requested one more meeting "to address open issues and find a resolution together. We firmly believe in open communication and collaboration with HCFA and believe further negotiations would have been productive.

"We highly value our faculty and are committed to coming to a successful agreement that aligns with our fiscal responsibilities," the statement continues. "In doing so, we will ensure the continuation of our student programs and the District’s efforts to increase student access and opportunity."

According to HCFA Chief Negotiator Ashley Gabriel, the district’s salary proposal has only risen by .2 percent since the two sides first sat down last year, an offer she called “insulting.” She said management’s current proposal is a 10.45 percent raise over two years with nothing guaranteed for year three of the contract. The union is asking for an 18.5 percent raise over two years, plus a cost-of-living increase in year three.

“Hartnell College has a reserve of approximately 27 percent—this college district can afford our modest proposals,” Gabriel said. “The lack of movement on salary and benefits is demoralizing and disrespectful to our faculty. Our teachers deserve better. Our students deserve better.”

Hartnell faculty make less than faculty members of other nearby districts, including Monterey Peninsula College. MPC faculty make between $61,600-$131,192 annually, depending on length of employment and amount of education. Hartnell faculty annual pay ranges from $57,126-$121,962.

Managers at Hartnell also make less than managers at other districts, but a proposal to raise their salaries has been postponed after HCFA members took offense when it was placed on the Sept. 5 Board of Trustees meeting, ahead of faculty negotiations.

While district officials say the management raises are similar to what they proposed for HCFA—a 10.30 raise over two years—union members point out that some management employees will receive much more, depending on which step of the salary ladder an employee is on.