With the right deal, the 11 employees who were laid off at John A. Logan this week could have a “very good” chance at getting their jobs back, said Jane Bryant, president of the JALC Faculty Association, a union that represents about 100 college employees.
The layoffs at Tuesday’s Board of Trustee meeting were presented as a last-resort measure to cope with a $6.8 million state funding shortage. JALC has been working on budget plans since the summer, when there were already indications there would be problems receiving state money, said Julia Schroeder, JALC vice president for instruction.
“It’s not something that happened overnight,” Schroeder said.
But if JALC officials can hash out an agreement with faculty unions, those instructors could be back in classrooms, Bryant said.
College officials and union representatives have been meeting since the layoff announcements to work out a possible solution that would allow the board to overturn the layoffs, Bryant said.
Neither Bryant nor Schroeder would comment about what specifically was talked about in the meetings.
“I think both parties are willing to find a middle ground and bring those positions back,” Bryant said.
Schroeder said she has employees working hard on grant proposals that could allow for positions to be retained.
Though she said the layoffs are devastating for JALC’s instructional divisions, Schroeder said she is trying to keep a positive attitude about a solution.
“We’re quite hopeful that something will be resolved in our talks with the unions,” she said.
Nick Johnson can be reached at njohnson@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 263.
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