Never in Clark College’s 87-year history have faculty gone on strike. That changed Monday, as teachers took to the picket line before the sun rose.

The Association for Higher Education, which represents more than 400 part- and full-time faculty at the Vancouver community college, is on strike until a deal can be made with the college over salaries. Teachers arrived on campus at 7 a.m., where the Clark College Board of Trustees was meeting to discuss the ongoing negotiations.

Chants of “Fair contract now” rang out across the otherwise quiet campus; classes will remain canceled until a resolution is reached. The college also canceled interim President Sandra Fowler-Hill’s State of the College address, which was scheduled for Thursday; spokeswoman Kelly Love said all focus is on negotiations at this point.

Union President Suzanne Southerland accused the college and its governing body of being unreasonable over the last 15 months of negotiations.

“They’ve not only failed to negotiate a fair contract, they’ve failed to communicate to the greater community what their position is,” Southerland said.