Southern Maine Community College Faculty Workers Picket for Pay Equity

About 50 faculty with the Community College Faculty Association (CCFA-MEA) held a picket at Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) on Monday, the first day of the fall semester, to call for pay equity. U.S. Senate candidate Troy Jackson joined the picket wearing a red shirt that read “student success starts with supporting faculty.”

“Same job, same pay,” they chanted as cars honked in support. “That’s why we’re here today.”

At SMCC, faculty teaching lab, shop, and clinical courses are paid 20 percent less than classroom teachers. Faculty are calling on SMCC to stop discriminating against hands-on learning and provide equal pay for equal work. According to the faculty union, hands-on learning is an essential part of student success and workforce preparation. Faculty teaching in labs, shops, and clinical settings do the same work as faculty teaching in traditional classrooms: teaching students, building skills, providing direct support, and preparing Maine's future workforce.

CCFA faculty at SMCC believe that all instruction should be valued equally. Faculty are asking SMCC to:

• Provide equal pay for equal work.

• Fully compensate faculty for all hours spent teaching students.

• Value hands-on learning equally to classroom instruction.

• Ensure fair and equitable treatment for faculty across the Maine Community College System.