A Request to Delay Lakeland Budget Cuts and Layoffs
LFA President Tobin F. Terry presented trustees with this message prior to the start of the November 14 board meeting in which 25 layoffs of Lakeland employees were approved in addition to 29 voluntary separation agreements.
Dear Lakeland Board of Trustees,
The Lakeland Faculty Association respectfully asks that you take more time to consider the long-term repercussions of the immense budget decisions on tonight’s agenda for several reasons.
First, Lakeland’s students will be directly and adversely affected by the potential cuts to services and staff. The elimination of student support programs and extracurricular activities can deprive students of valuable learning opportunities and social experiences. This can be especially detrimental for students from low-income families who may not have access to these opportunities outside of school.
Second, eliminating these positions reduces Lakeland’s sense of community. Cuts in services can leave students without the support they need to succeed in college and have a negative impact on students’ academic achievement, social development, and overall well-being. Cutting staff salaries and benefits and laying off support staff can send a message to students that their needs are not a priority.
Finally, students can not feel supported and cannot possibly be successful without adequate staff and services in place throughout all areas of the college. The LFA recognizes the invaluable work done by staff and administrators who work directly with students and behind the scenes. We do not support cuts that would undermine their vital work.
As email communications this week have indicated, various members of the college welcome increased transparency in financial matters. As stakeholders in Lakeland with a deep understanding of the needs of our students, the LFA has a vested interest in the success of our college and welcomes the opportunity to participate in conversations about how to address current budgetary needs.
Sincerely,
Tobin F. Terry
President of the Lakeland Faculty Association
Lakeland Faculty Association Ratifies Tentative Bargaining Agreement
KIRTLAND, Ohio – October 12, 2023 – After months of negotiations that included federal mediation and a unanimous strike authorization vote, the Lakeland Faculty Association (LFA) reached a tentative bargaining agreement with Lakeland Community College late Tuesday evening following a marathon 11-hour mediated fact-finding session. The LFA met yesterday and voted to ratify the 3-year deal.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement that will help to ensure that Lakeland continues to attract and retain the best and brightest faculty, which is essential to our mission of providing a high-quality education,” said Tobin F. Terry, president of the LFA.
Highlights of the new agreement include:
- increased ability to adapt to changing student needs
- additional support for nursing students and faculty in clinical settings
- a permanent Safety Committee to protect the well-being of students, staff, and faculty
- job security to attract and retain first-rate faculty at Lakeland, benefitting the larger community
The ball now lies in the Lakeland Board of Trustees’ court, who must also ratify the agreement for it to take effect, thereby bringing a formal end to the bargaining process. The Board is scheduled to vote this evening.
“The faculty will be glad to finally put these unnecessarily protracted negotiations behind us,” said LFA Spokesperson Lynne Gabriel. “We want to put our full focus on what we do best: working with our colleagues at the college to educate, encourage, and elevate the students of Lakeland and the citizens of our community.”
The more than 120 educators represented by the Lakeland Faculty Association have been working without a contract since August 16. The LFA’s mission is to maintain and enrich the quality of education at Lakeland College and to promote the professional interests of the faculty of Lakeland through collective action and other appropriate means. The LFA is a proud affiliate of the Ohio Education Association and the National Education Association.
Lakeland Faculty Vote to Authorize 10-day Strike Notice
KIRTLAND, Ohio – September 22, 2023 – The Lakeland Faculty Association (LFA) voted unanimously last night to authorize their bargaining team to issue a 10-day strike notice. The vote comes after failed mediation and the initiation of statutory Fact-Finding with Lakeland Community College.
LFA President Tobin F. Terry, a member of the LFA bargaining team, outlined the union’s goals. “We’re fighting for the tools and the capacity to provide students the best chance at success in our modern society. This means providing faculty the opportunity to give more individualized attention in clinicals and recognizing the time and effort needed for those same faculty to find and hire quality clinical instructors to teach our nursing students. We’re fighting to retain and recruit the best educators by creating a workplace that acknowledges professionalism and provides job security, competitive wages, and affordable quality benefits because when faculty leave Lakeland for better working environments, it hurts students and our whole community.” The LFA’s platform also includes increased campus safety and security to protect the well-being of its members and their students. To date, the College has rejected the LFA’s proposal. “Clearly, the College’s top decision-makers have lost touch with this community’s values,” said Terry.
At the meeting, members also discussed that the LFA has filed an unfair labor practice complaint against College President Morris Beverage for an attempt to intimidate Terry at a recent campus event. “While we continue to work for a fair contract, the administration has unfortunately resorted to bully tactics in a misguided attempt to silence us,” said Terry. “We filed an unfair labor practice complaint to hold President Beverage accountable for his unacceptable conduct.”
“The vote tonight is a vote of confidence in our bargaining team and our fight for the student-focused, high-quality education our faculty provide each day,” said Lynne Gabriel, LFA spokesperson. She continued, “Of course we don’t want to strike, but our students, faculty and community deserve a contract that invests in classroom priorities and fosters a supportive learning environment.”
The LFA’s collective bargaining agreement with the College expired on August 15. The LFA can file the Notice of Intent to Strike or Picket with the State Employment Relations Board any time after the Fact-Finding process has concluded.
The Lakeland Faculty Association is the union representing more than 120 educators employed by Lakeland Community College. The LFA’s mission is to maintain and enrich the quality of education at Lakeland College and to promote the professional interests of the faculty of Lakeland through collective action and other appropriate means. The LFA is a proud affiliate of the Ohio Education Association and the National Education Association.