As temperatures climbed into the upper 90s, dozens of Howard Community College faculty members were joined by elected officials at a rally Monday to demand progress in contract talks that have dragged on for a year and a half.

The union says that the administration of college President Daria Willis has refused to negotiate for a fair compensation package for faculty.

“Faculty deserve that contract now, and we don’t deserve to be pushed over by an administration that refuses to acknowledge faculty concerns,” said Alejandro Muzzio, an anthropology professor at the community college.

Muzzio, who attended the protest in the campus quad with his three children, slipped a list of demands through the administration building’s door.

“We were here!” Muzzio proclaimed.

Tim Bruno, an English professor, said during Monday’s rally that faculty and staff have dealt for months with “major errors” on their pay checks and delayed pay days.

“President Daria Willis is literally messing with people’s paychecks,” Bruno said. “She is literally taking money from working families.”

The protest drew students, a handful of elected officials, and American Federation of Teachers union members. Some held signs saying “Students Support Faculty” and “Faculty Will Not Be Silenced.”

The college administration and faculty union have been at odds for months, The parties last met for negotiations July 15-16. No further dates have been proposed by the college, according to a representative with the AFT, which represents HCC faculty.

“We look forward to continuing good faith negotiations with AFT representatives as we work towards a fair and sustainable agreement,” the college wrote in a Sunday Substack post.

According to the college, base salaries of all full-time faculty and staff members have increased under Willis and the HCC board by more than 20% thanks to annual cost-of-living adjustments.

By Aug. 15, all full-time employees will receive a one-time, performance-based merit payment of $3,500, according to the college’s post. Each eligible employee will also receive a 4% cost-of-living adjustment.

But the faculty union and college administration have been deadlocked on a new contract as HCC has cracked down on protests that it says violate campus rules. College security broke up a protest in a campus meeting last winter and removed pro-union says from the windows of faculty offices.

“The reason that we’re here today is because we stand with you. We want to see an equitable conclusion to this contract,” said state Sen. Clarence Lam, a Howard County Democrat, during the rally. “To be frank, bonuses simply aren’t enough. It’s not a real investment …. And that’s why we support making sure you get actual pay increases that reflect the value that you contribute to this college.”

Dels. Jessica Feldmark and Terri Hill and County Councilwoman Deb Jung were among several other elected officials who spoke Monday.

The college also announced in its post that plans are in the works for a compensation study that will look to “reduce disparities in earnings across the college’s departments and functions.”

Willis also took aim at the union’s tactics.

She wrote Sunday on LinkedIn that her neighborhood was papered with about 70 fliers that stated, “HCC President Dr Willis makes 350,000 a year, but does not think teachers deserve a raise.” The flyers feature a photograph of Willis with a thick black line covering her eyes.

She called the flyers “misleading” and “intentionally threatening.”

“We champion civility in Dragon Country, and this is far beneath that,” Willis wrote.

In an email to county elected officials Monday morning, college spokesperson Jarrett Carter Sr. suggested that protesters posed a threat.

“As you prepare for today’s union rally at noon on the HCC campus, I ask that you seriously consider the potential for unnecessary discomfort, danger, or tragedy that can grow in the minds of one or some people who feel strongly about these negotiations,” he said.

At least three HCC campus security guards and a couple college administration officials stood in eyesight of the demonstration Monday afternoon.

A few hours after the rally, a special Board of Trustees meeting was called for Monday night. After some technical difficulties with the virtual meeting, the board members voted to move into closed session.

The Baltimore Banner reported in November that two dozen current and former employees and students had described high staff turnover and a toxic culture that they said had negatively affected staff and student services during Willis’ tenure. Faculty and others have blasted Willis’ leadership style on an anonymous online message that went up shortly after she took office in early 2022. Campus leaders have pushed back, alleging a racist undertone to some posts. Willis is the first Black woman to lead the campus.

The college announced in September that three members of the board of trustees had resigned. The board met with empty seats for months. New trustees were eventually appointed, and the General Assembly passed a bill sponsored by the Howard County delegation last spring that put in new guardrails for the HCC board and expanded it by two members.