Lane Community College, Faculty Union Reach Tentative Four-Year Contract; Ratification Pending

Eugene, Lane Community College and the Lane Community College Education Association announced a tentative four-year collective bargaining agreement reached late on Feb. 25 and publicly released Feb. 26; the agreement is tentative pending a ratification vote by LCCEA members and formal approval by the LCC Board of Education. The Board is scheduled to meet Wednesday, March 4, though the agenda had not been posted at the time of the announcement.

The contract locks in cost-of-living adjustments of 3% in each of the first and second years and 3.1% in years three and four, with the first-year increase retroactive to July 2025. The tentative deal also includes a 1.5% longevity step applied to the top-step faculty wage range for both full-time and part-time faculty and a 1% annual parity increase for all part-time faculty.

Non-monetary provisions listed in college and union materials include strengthened faculty privacy rights, updated anti-discrimination language, clarified information request procedures, and protections for reasonable class sizes and workloads intended to allow faculty to provide students the attention they deserve. The parties state that throughout negotiations they addressed 30 Articles and 53 side letters of agreement.

Bargaining began in spring 2025 and stretched nearly 11 months, encompassing 15 bargaining sessions and three mediation sessions; some accounts describe the mediations as three days of mediation. Negotiations were contentious at times and included public pressure tactics such as rallies and board meeting actions, including an Oct. 4, 2025 rally in front of LCC’s downtown Eugene building. Union leaders prepared for a possible strike during bargaining; LCCEA President Adrienne Mitchell reported that “96% of union members voted in favor of going on strike if an impasse was declared.”

Mitchell, who leads a unit representing roughly 200 full-time faculty and about 300 part-time faculty in college materials, issued a union statement that preserved the union’s organizing frame: “This was a long and challenging process, and we are grateful for the overwhelming solidarity and resolve of our members. We are delighted that we have reached an agreement that addresses faculty priorities in a reasonable manner and helps provide stability for our beloved LCC. We believe this agreement honors the dedication of our faculty and moves us toward a stronger future for our students and community. We look forward to working together to implement this contract.” One news account put the union’s part-time total at 325, a discrepancy the parties did not reconcile in initial releases.

LCC President Dr. Stephanie Bulger framed the deal as mutually responsible, saying, “We are proud of what both teams accomplished at the bargaining table. This agreement reflects our shared commitment to our faculty, our students, and the long-term health of this institution. Staying at the table, working through the difficult and nuanced conversations, and finding solutions that are both fair and fiscally responsible is exactly what this community deserved. I am especially pleased that we were able to prioritize part-time faculty equity in this contract.” Grant Matthews, associate vice president for academic affairs, said, “I think that it came down to both teams really focusing on what is best for students and really focusing on how to make our institution strong.” Jenna McCulley, senior advisor for strategic communications, said reaching the agreement required “difficult conversation” about the college’s financial position and that, “Overall, we think it is a fair, reasonable agreement that supports faculty and our students.”

A related bargaining outcome is underway for the Lane Community College Education Federation, which represents about 500 classified employees and reached a separate tentative agreement that includes a 3% COLA; that federation’s members were scheduled to vote through Thursday with the intent to present its agreement to the Board at the March meeting.

Next steps for the LCCEA agreement are internal ratification by faculty and formal Board action; the college’s materials did not provide a timeline for the faculty vote. Both sides described the tentative deal as providing stability for faculty, students, and the institution while prioritizing part-time faculty equity, with final implementation hinging on the pending ratification and Board approval.