On a freezing Tuesday night, dozens of ECC faculty donned big coats and blue lights picketing outside of the Siegle Auditorium. They gathered to demand that the administration renew their contract and boost their pay. 

“We don’t want disruption, but we do demand respect,” said Kim Tarver, ECCFA Chief Negotiator and Physical Therapist professor. “ Our students are more important.”

Faculty members have been in negotiations for a new contract with ECC’s administration since September of last year. Their previous contract had concluded at the end of December 2025. After almost 20 meetings to reach an agreement, the faculty is still without a current contract.

“While we have not yet reached an agreement, the parties have agreed to move forward with mediation as part of the collective bargaining process,” according to a statement from ECC administration. “Our priority remains supporting our students as we work in good faith towards a sustainable agreement.”

Seigle Auditorium houses 200 seats with a total of 21 rows. More than half of the seats were taken by faculty members; all wearing their signature blue ECCFA T-shirts. 

Board of Trustee members started the meeting by reading the “shared values” at ECC. The shared values detail prioritizing excellence and ethical practices stating: “We strive to offer the highest level of excellence in our programs and services to achieve our vision. We use research-based methods to strengthen curriculum and deliver high-quality learning-centered instruction and services”

“I believe the board is undervaluing the faculty,” said Lauren Sullivan, part-time librarian and member of ECCFA negotiations team. “76% of the faculty takes on extra work [outside of working at ECC].”

“Investing in 1 faculty member is investing in 200 plus students,” she said. 

During the public comment portion of the meeting, eight faculty members took the podium and raised their voices to demand contract renewal and adequate pay. A meeting that is normally quiet, rang loud as members clapped and banged on tables in support of the speeches being read by fellow faculty.

“On the way in, you likely saw faculty outside freezing,” said Marc Beth, Professor of Music and Music Instructional Coordinator.  “Perhaps you saw the blue ECCFA shirts; those shirts mean we are united in our efforts. We are united in our efforts in the classroom; we are united in our efforts working towards fair wages.” 

He expressed he and the faculty’s commitment to their job and shared values. He also expressed how they often do work outside of their contract for the success of students and the institution. 

“In 2020, when Covid shut this building down, we were left to figure it out,” he said. “I have friends in different fields, during that time, talking about Covid being a break and a time to catch up on Netflix while I was working 80 hours a week, trying to figure it out.”

“Me and my colleagues were paid a fraction of the time we put in on projects,” he said. “These were not projects for us; these were projects for ECC that we were proud and eager to participate in, but contract after contract, we have been asked to take a hit, relative to the cost of inflation.”

The meeting concluded with final remarks by Dan Kernler, math professor and ECCFA President.

“Students in this college are our top priority,” he said. “We were disappointed when the board passed an offer nearly identical to the previous one when we last met, forcing us into mediation.”

“They told us their package was good enough,” he said. “We don’t want ECC to be good enough; we want ECC to be excellent, our students deserve no less.”