JCC President Addresses Contract Dispute With College Workers
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Members of Jamestown Community College's Service Association repeatedly have called on the administration to "return to the table" as contract negotiations have entered their fourth year without resolution.
However, it was Service Association backers who walked away during Tuesday's board of trustees meeting as JCC President Daniel DeMarte read a lengthy statement on what he claims have been consistent "miscommunication" surrounding contract talks.
"Representatives of the JCC Service Association have come to the board on several occasions to request that the college return to the bargaining table," DeMarte said. "But that request is inconsistent with other actions of the Service Assocation's bargaining team. Specifically, it is the Service Association, and not the college, which has on two occasions terminated the local negotiations process between the parties and has instead placed the process under the supervision of the Public Employment Relations Board."
Members within the association have been without a contract since Aug. 31, 2019. A new six-year contract with another major bargaining unit at the college -- the JCC Faculty Association -- was approved during Tuesday's meeting.
DeMarte outlined "background facts" of the negotiations that began in March 2018, about five months before the three-year contract was set to expire. He said the Service Association declared an impasse in November 2019 and requested the services of a Public Employment Relations Board-appointed mediator to reach a settlement.
In February 2020, the Service Association requested mediation be placed on hold so that both sides could "return to the table to resume negotiations," DeMarte said, adding, "to which the college readily agreed."
A second impasse was declared in September 2022.
"It must be pointed out that prior to the declaration of impasse, the college believed that substantial progress was being made and the college was hopeful that we were on track to reaching a settlement," DeMarte said.
Both sides met with a mediator in June; the process was broken off after the Service Association aired its concerns over the lack of a new contract publicly.
At present, contracts talks are under the supervision of PERB.
"It is troubling to hear a suggestion that the college has walked away from the table with the Service Association and needs to be encouraged to return," DeMarte said. "Any such suggestion is simply false and inaccurate."
He added, "The Service Association should understand the consequences of its actions, and that by declaring impasse, asking for the appointment of a mediator and then asking for the appointment of a factfinder, the Service Association has placed the negotiations process under PERB's supervision."
Toward the end of DeMarte's remarks, about a dozen supporters of the college's Service Association got up and walked out.
Board Chairman Mark Ward thanked the college president for his remarks.
Trustee Wally Huckno Sr. said DeMarte's statement was a "complete and accurate account" of contract talks since 2019. Regarding the supporters walking out of the meeting, Huckno added, "One way to keep your people in ignorance is don't let them hear the truth, and we have just witnessed an example of that. So, I'm sorry that happened."
Wendy Burns and Carol Federko, two longtime JCC employees, spoke earlier during Tuesday's meeting in support of the association and the need for a new contract.
"I understand your role is not contract negotiations, but you can encourage the administration to move forward with us," Burns said first. "We are the only unit here at JCC still with no contract. I don't understand the administration's unwillingness to negotiate a new contract with the Service Association and I find it beyond frustrating that they have given themselves a 12% raise in this time period that we've received no increase. … What more can we do?"
Federko followed with: "Please don't take away what we've earned through our years of dedication to JCC. We ask for your help to get some resolution. We deserve to be treated fairly."
NEW FACULTY CONTRACT
Trustees unanimously approved the six-year contract with the JCC Faculty Association. Like the Service Association, full- and part-time faculty members at the college had been without a contract since August 2019.
The new six-year contract includes no increases for the 2019-20 or 2020-2021 school years; a 7% salary increase, with 4.08% to correct "salary inequities" for full-time faculty, and 5% added to the base salary of part-time faculty for the 2021-22 school year; 3.92% added to the base salary of full-time faculty and 3% added to the base salary of part-time faculty for the 2022-23 school year; and 3% added to the base salary of full- and part-timers for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years.