Teachers at Bates Technical College took a vote of no confidence in acting President Lyle Quasim and the Board of Trustees, their union announced today.

Many in the faculty are upset over the college’s issuance of layoff notices to more than 40 staff members last week.

Quasim said the notices were necessary due to a budget imbalance.  The college issued more than three dozen notices to comply with union rules governing  potential layoffs, but officials don’t expect that many faculty members to lose their jobs, Quasim said last week.

The college’s board is due to meet Tuesday at 3 p.m. …

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Some 25 staff members at Bates Technical College are to be laid off because of state budget cuts, a spokeswoman said this morning.

The Tacoma-based trade school issued 45 reduction-in-force notices to faculty members and support employees on Monday, spokeswoman Edie Jeffers said in a prepared statement.

Although the college does not expect to lose more than 25 positions, the 45 notices were issued to cover contactual obligations, she added. Employees must be told if a layoff might affect them, even if their particular job is later preserved.

Bates has a staff of about 500 full- and part-time employees.

The layoffs will help offset reductions in the college’s budget, Jeffers’ statement said. College officials won’t know, however, how much their budget will shrink until the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges meets May 5 and 6, she added.

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