Quinsigamond Community College union workers rally, urge Legislature to approve raises

WORCESTER — Union employees at Quinsigamond Community College rallied at the school’s entrance on West Boylston Street on Thursday, calling on the state Legislature to fund raises dating back to 2021, and calling on the governor to budget additional raises in the future.

The rally was one of several held throughout the state over the last two days involving the Massachusetts Community College Council, a statewide union representing community college employees.

“The governor and the state Legislature are people who are supposed to be supporting us, but they are just not doing anything and really not helping us out on this,” said Margaret Wong, a professor of English at QCC and chapter president of the union at the school. “Our last raise was July 1, 2020. We haven't gotten a raise for three years.”

In addition to the rallies, the union sent a delegation of members to deliver a petition with nearly 6,000 signatures to Gov. Maura Healey on Thursday, laying out what they want.

A spokesman for the Executive Office for Administration and Finance provided a statement in response to an question sent to the governor's office about the rallies:

“The Healey-Driscoll Administration is committed to supporting our hardworking educators, especially community college professors. We are proud to have made historic investments in community colleges in our first year, including passing MassReconnect to make community college free for students age 25 and older, investing $12 million to look at staffing and system upgrades that might get us closer to no-cost community colleges and delivering $6.5 million in a reserve to support the health and wellness of community college employees.”

Union members, who are working under an expired contract, were calling to receive the 2% raises they said they were entitled to receive, but had not been funded, for 2021-22 and 2022-23. They're also looking for a 4% raise in 2023-24 and a 4% raise in 2024-25, to match units at other public higher education institutions.

Wong said community college employees are having to make difficult financial decisions because of the rising cost of living.

“There are people who are telling me, they can't get a dental procedure because they don't have that raise, they can't pay their property tax because they don't have that raise, they are unable to do the medical procedures that they need because they don't have that raise,” Wong said. “This is what we're waiting for.”

She said it has affected the school’s ability to recruit and retain employees, and that students will eventually suffer.

“Our students sometimes have no other place to go. This is their last hope,” Wong said. “This is the last place where they can get that promise of higher education. They deserve better.”

The state is now offering free community college to people 25 and older, under Healey's MassReconnect program.

Overwhelmed with work, demands

While they’re happy community college will become more accessible, Wong said, the employees are already overwhelmed with work and expectations, and worry that they will need to do more work without proper compensation.

“It sends the message to community college workers that we don’t matter,” she said.

When asked about the rally, QCC President Luis G. Pedraja provided a statement:

“I have continued to advocate for our dedicated faculty and professional staff, who have not gotten a pay raise since 2020 and continue to underscore the importance of funding the collective bargaining agreement with our local and state elected officials. Providing fair and equitable wages to our community college educators is critical to our college community and bolsters our local and regional economy.”

Lisa Cook, a history professor at the school and vice president of the union chapter, said it was great to see people turn out for the rally and to receive support from the surrounding community in the form of cheering and cars honking.

She hopes all of the attention being brought to the matter will push the Legislature to give the union members their past raises.

James Lincoln, an enrollment counselor and union member, said institutions are “hemorrhaging” employees because they can’t afford to continue working on low wages.

“I can't afford my own place," Lincoln said. "It's a mess.”

When asked about a potential strike, Wong said nothing is off the table.

“We’re patient,” she said. “Not endlessly patient.”

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Quinsigamond Community College union workers rally for raises, benefits