Alert #3: Offered 10% – minus the cost of COLA

In a 2013 MOU, the District agreed, in principle, to pass COLA through to faculty:

“In principle, the District and CCFF agree that funded COLA is to be applied to the salary schedules of unit members.”

However, the District is not offering COLA for the next three years.  Instead, this is what the District proposes:

“In consideration of the District’s interest in settling a three-year package, in lieu of the salary increases in 2016-2017 and 2017-18, the Union may negotiate the reallocation of these funds to other items in the Assignment Article or Salary Proposal.”

In short, if faculty want COLA, it will come “in lieu of salary increases in 2016-17 and 2017-18.”

Here is the District’s proposal as presented in the anonymous email of January 28, 2016:

Faculty were offered:

Full-time= 5%/ Part-time =5.5% in 2015-16

2.5% in 2016-17

2.5% in 2017-18

Over the next three years, faculty can probably expect at least 2.5% in COLA from the state.

COLA for 2015-16:  1.02%

COLA for 2016-17:  0.47% (Proposed, but probably higher)

COLA for 2017-18:  1.01% (For the sake of argument here)

COLA total in the next three years = 2.5%

The District is proposing to give faculty the promised 2.5% in COLA by taking it AWAY from the 5% salary increase for 2016-17 and 2017-18.

5% + 2.5% + 2.5% – 2.5% = 7.5%

The District is not offering 10%.

True, we don’t know what the COLA for 2017-2018 will be, but we do know this: if we accept the District’s offer, the District will keep all of it!

And finally, if the district offer is accepted, faculty will STILL see a loss of eight per cent of purchasing power since 2008.

In Unity,