Appropriations Committee reviews Charter Oak adjunct collective bargaining agreement; votes left open

Charter Oak State College officials and union representatives presented a one-year collective bargaining agreement to the Connecticut General Assembly Appropriations Committee that would bring about 250 adjunct teaching faculty into a separate local of the Congress of Connecticut Community Colleges (SEIU Local 1973).

The agreement, described by college officials as an accretion or, later clarified, a new bargaining unit under the 4C's umbrella, includes what the college called an "approximate 7% compensation increase for our teaching faculty," one-time orientation payments, the creation of a professional-development fund and standardized pay for special-project work at roughly $44 an hour. Michael Moriarty, Charter Oak’s chief financial officer, told the committee the package would be retroactive to the current fiscal year and that the college had included an estimated cost increase "just over $300,000 a year," which he said equates to about 9% of total teaching-faculty spending.

Why it matters: The agreement affects the pay and work rules for a group of adjuncts who, by Charter Oak’s account, had not received raises in more than a decade. Charter Oak leaders said making the online college sustainable at a low tuition point requires preserving its operating model while addressing pay inequities for small-class instruction.

In testimony, Ed Klonowski, president of Charter Oak State College, said the administration sought a deal that was "fair to the bargaining unit and...protects Charter Oak's business model," and that the college had worked to avoid embedding governance matters into the contract. Moriarty said Charter Oak is a fully online college with about 2,500 students, and characterized the institution as able to absorb the contractual costs without compromising accrediting metrics. "This contract represents not only a fair agreement with the educators who serve our students, but also a balanced and sustainable financial commitment within the constraints of our budget," Moriarty said.

Union and faculty speakers framed the pact differently. Seth Freeman, president of the Congress of Connecticut Community Colleges (4C's), said adjuncts at Charter Oak had gone without a cost-of-living adjustment "in nearly 15 years" and described the college’s pay-per-student model as creating instability. Freeman said the contract raises the floor for the lowest-paid instructors and adds protections such as "transparent workload expectations and a clear process for addressing concerns." Dr. Ruth McDonald, a long-time Charter Oak instructor and union delegate, asked the committee to support the agreement, calling it "standard language for an academic institution" and emphasizing the adjuncts’ commitment to adult learners.

Committee members asked detailed questions about who is covered and how the compensation works. Representatives pressed on: the scope (teaching faculty who teach more than two credits annually), the approximate count of affected adjuncts (about 250), average class size (about 13 students), the college’s multiple term starts each year (six), and the degree to which faculty receive benefits (eligibility is tied to hours worked and state rules, and many adjuncts do not meet the threshold). Representative Haddad pressed on the per-student pay model and the college’s decision to raise pay for very small classes (four students and under) to avoid cancelling low-enrollment sections.

The committee record shows the Senate mover for the resolution was Senator Summers and the second was Senator Gordon. The Appropriations Committee opened votes on Senate Resolution 14 and House Resolution 15 (both describe approval of the same collective bargaining agreement) and recorded numerous affirmative roll-call votes. Committee staff announced that the votes would be left open until noon to allow members who were delayed to cast votes; final certified vote tallies were not recorded in the public hearing transcript before the committee recessed.

Votes at a glance: The committee moved to consider approval of the collective bargaining agreement between Charter Oak State College and the Congress of Connecticut Community Colleges, SEIU Local 1973 (Senate Resolution 14 / House Resolution 15). Senator Summers moved the Senate resolution; Senator Gordon seconded. The transcript records numerous senators and representatives announcing "yes" on the record during a roll call; committee staff stated votes would remain open until noon and the hearing recessed pending completion of the roll call.

Implementation and next steps: Charter Oak officials said the one-year agreement would align the new adjunct bargaining unit’s renewal cycle with other unions in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system and that successor negotiations will begin promptly. College witnesses said the agreement’s payroll impact has been included in short- and long-term budget projections and that the institution aims to preserve affordability for students while recognizing adjunct contributions.

Details not specified in the hearing record: the committee transcript does not contain a final certified vote tally or an explicit statement that the resolutions were finally approved; staff left votes open until noon. The exact contract end date was referred to in testimony as ending "on '30 this year," language used by a witness in the hearing record; the transcript did not include a fully specified calendar date.