The Illinois Eastern Community College Board of Trustees held a special meeting Wednesday at the District Office in Olney. Trustees met in executive session to discuss employment, litigation, and collective negotiating matters, but no formal action was taken.
Following the closed session, Board Chairman Gary Carter issued a statement regarding labor negotiations with the Faculty Association. Carter noted that while a collective bargaining agreement extending through August 2026 was reached earlier this year, two memoranda of agreement on faculty performance evaluations and distance learning remain unsettled.
According to Carter, the Faculty Association has not presented the original negotiated memoranda for ratification, but instead submitted versions rewritten by its leadership. Carter called the move “bad-faith bargaining” and said it reflects past delays in negotiations.
To protect the district’s legal rights, Chancellor Dr. Ryan Gower has decided to file a bad faith bargaining unfair labor practice charge with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. Carter said the Board fully supports the action, emphasizing it is a defensive measure that could be withdrawn if the Association complies with its obligations.
The Board reaffirmed its commitment to working collaboratively and urged the Faculty Association to honor the agreements reached.
The next regular IECC Board meeting will be Tuesday, September 16, at 6:15 p.m. at Frontier Community College in Fairfield.
Comments