LINCC Mediation Again Cancelled by College

For the second time in a row, the union was notified at the last minute, yesterday, that the college was canceling a long-scheduled mediation session (scheduled for today, June 8, from 10am-4pm) regarding LINCC Lecturers because the college attorney could not attend. Our previous mediation session, scheduled for May 24th, was canceled for the same reason. Every time the college cancels at the last minute, it costs them $2500 (the daily rate charged by the mediator). The LINCC Lecturers title was placed in the NCCFT bargaining unit by PERB on December 17, 2009. We were ready to begin negotiating in the summer of 2010. Our first negotiation session was not until October 2010. We were disappointed to end up in impasse in the first place. So far, we have had only one mediation session, on April 4, and that session was ended abruptly after only an hour and a half because the college’s outside attorneys were called to another bargaining session. These last minute mediation cancellations are unconscionable.