By Joe Ragusa

NORMAL – Classes will still go on at Heartland Community College, even if roughly 90 faculty members go on strike.

Heartland Community College president Rob Widmer said adjunct faculty at the college who are not represented by the Heartland Faculty Association will still be expected to honor their contracts and cover their classes.

“We would look at what are the classes that are not addressed or not covered and look for qualified individuals to at least, depending upon the situation, stand in for those final days or whatever might be necessary,” Widmer said.

The union filed a 10-day intent to strike notice on Friday.

The college’s last offer to the Heartland Faculty Association was a one percent pay increase for this year and a one percent pay increase for next year. The union initially wanted a 4.75 percent pay increase this year.

“They have come down a little bit, but they’re still significantly higher than where we are,” Widmer said.

Earlier this week, Heartland Faculty Association vice president Jane Camp said the union has made “substantial movement and substantial compromise” on its original offer, but declined to offer specifics.

“We’re hoping to still foster this air of compromise,” Camp said. “We really want to finish on Friday and come to a successful conclusion that satisfies the association as well as the college.”

A session with a federal mediator is scheduled for this Friday.

Joe Ragusa can be reached at [email protected].