Harper board postponed faculty contract vote

Faculty at Harper College may get a two-year contract extension, which would prolong another bargaining session between teachers and administrators.

At a college board meeting Tuesday night, a two-year contract extension was up for a vote, but trustees decided to hold off on the matter until it was further discussed in executive session.

It will now be voted on at a later date.

In October 2006, Harper's faculty was close to a strike after more than six months of unsuccessful contract talks. In the end, the final sticking points were salaries and retirement pay.

An agreement was reached that runs through 2010. Salary increases went up the first year by 4.7 percent, then 4.5 percent, 4.3 percent and 4.3 percent the last year. If approved, the faculty would receive a 4.75 percent increase the additional two years of the contract.

Faculty Senate President Michael Harkins declined to comment Wednesday on the contract, saying he wanted to wait for a vote.

College spokesman Phil Burdick said the directive came from President Robert Breuder, whose contract is up June 30, 2009.

"The idea behind this is to extend the contract to allow a new president and other new senior management to settle into Harper for two years until undergoing new contract negotiations," Burdick said.

Besides Brueder's retirement, Judy Thorson, the college's chief financial officer, is also leaving in April 2009.

If approved by the school board, the additional two-year contract offer would then go to the faculty senate for a vote, Burdick said.