Negotiations Update – Nov 9, 2018
Negotiations Update November 9, 2018
Today we met with the District to present our counter on Assignment and to hear the District’s counter on salary and health benefits.
Assignment
There are still significant sticking points in this article: namely in areas related to assigned hours per week and how we spend that time, but there are also many areas within this long article where we have come to an agreement. Today went through the article to see if there were any more places where compromise was possible. We should finish the process and have the District’s complete counter-proposal at our next meeting. Unfortunately, at this time, the District is unwilling to sign off on separate sections of the article as we go along.
After 15 years, our faculty deserve to have their basic work rules and obligations in a written contract. It is the Union’s contention that we should TA (formally agree) as we go along so we can move those items into the next contract.
Salary and Healthcare
The District re-submitted their last offer on Salary and Healthcare without accepting any changes proposed by the Union. (See the District’s Nov. 1 negotiations update for their summary. Their offer hasn’t changed since they posted it.) On salary, their offer remains COLA plus 1.5% for all faculty for 2018-19, with a one-time, 1% off-schedule “bonus.” ($1,000 for someone who makes $100,000/year. $120 for someone who makes $12,000.) The Union’s offer on the table remains COLA plus 2% on schedule, with no bonus, for 2018-19.
Both sides seem to want to move to a revenue sharing formula for years 2 and 3. We ran such a formula on this year’s budget and brought it to the Board of Trustees earlier this week. Take a look at it yourself and you’ll see we have plenty of money to provide fair wages while still supporting other activities at the college.
Today the District’s team told us that they were unwilling to go higher than COLA plus 1.5% in an on-schedule salary increase. Of course, the District’s negotiating team follows the parameters set by the President and the Trustees. If their COLA Plus 1.5% limit is going to change, the change will have to come from there.
Progress in Negotiations
At the end of a long meeting, the District proposed engaging a third-party mediator to see if the two sides could resolve our differences before proceeding to formal impasse. The Union is considering the proposal. We are willing to show good faith and engage in further discussions, but is the District really prepared to do the same?
Next Steps
Let us know that you’re coming to The Board of Trustees meeting on 11/14 from 6:30-7:30. Show up if this matters to you.
Sign (and share) our petition to the President and the Board.