Clark College's faculty union will begin a strike Monday, Jan. 13, if it doesn’t reach an agreement with the Vancouver community college by the end of next week.
The week of the planned strike is the same week four Clark College presidential candidates are set to begin visiting the campus. Classes start at Clark College this Monday.
"The college is very concerned about the impacts of a strike and is working diligently to find a resolution and move forward to serve students," Kelly Love, Clark College's chief communications officer told OPB in a statement.
Love said the college is in the midst of creating a "contingency plan" in the event of a strike.
Negotiations between the union and the college are set to resume Saturday.
Related: Clark College Faculty Union Votes To Authorize Strike
The union, the Clark College Association for Higher Education, announced the strike date Thursday night. Three hundred union members voted unanimously last month to authorize the strike.
In a news release, the union said the college did not respond to its latest proposal.
“After we waited all day, the college administration had nothing new to offer,” union president Suzanne Southerland said in a statement. “That was disappointing. The students and faculty of Clark College deserve better.”
The union has been in negotiations with Clark College administration for 15 months. It is asking for more competitive and equitable faculty pay, including pay parity for adjunct and part-time faculty members.
“Proposals from the interim college president and the Board of Trustees have fallen far short of what’s needed to continue attracting and keeping qualified, committed faculty for Clark College students,” the union said in a statement. “Salaries lag behind other nearby colleges, K-12 public schools and the private sector.”