Contract negotiations for the new TMCC faculty employment agreement concluded on February 27th. Following the approval of two tentative proposals by TMCC President Jeff Alexander, the negotiating teams are now finalizing the documentation. A formal review of the compiled markup and clean copies is scheduled for March 20th. Once finalized, these documents will be released for faculty review.

Overview of the Tentative Agreement

A primary focus of this year's bargaining was to ensure that contract language and protections for administrative faculty, librarians, and counselors are equitable with those of instructional faculty. Regarding compensation, the agreement includes pay increases for Department Chairs and Accredited Program Leaders (formerly Academic Program Directors and Coordinators), as well as adjusted rates for independent studies and private music instruction. Additionally, summer wage rates will now be indexed annually to the HEPI.

The college has also agreed to apply COLA adjustments to new hires. In instances where NSHE-approved salary schedule changes are lower than the legislatively approved COLA, the college will fund the difference. Furthermore, the administration has committed to conducting comprehensive biannual equity studies and funding the findings to the best of the College's financial capacity.

In terms of benefits and faculty rights, the agreement allows faculty to take one paid personal day on a teaching day and strengthens protections regarding student complaints and intellectual property. While an evergreen clause was not approved, the parties agreed to a five-year contract term, with the option for either party to reopen negotiations after the start of the third year. The current agreement remains in effect until the new contract is ratified or the five-year term expires. The administration rejected NFA proposals to give faculty input in office assignment decisions or establish arbitration in the grievance process.

Ratification Timeline

TMCC-NFA will lead the next steps in the approval process, beginning with information sessions held during the week of March 30th to review contract details and address faculty questions. Following these sessions, NFA members will receive ratification ballots via ElectionBuddy.com during the week of April 6th.

If ratified by the membership, the contract will be placed on the agenda for the NSHE Board of Regents meeting on June 11-12 at UNR. Upon Board approval, the new contract is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026.