2008 Woodie Awards
Teachers reach tentative deal
Nicholas Palomino Mendoza
Issue date: 4/10/08 Section: News
A teachers' strike has been temporarily avoided as, after almost 18 months of negotiations, a tentative agreement between the full-time teachers union and the LBCC District was reached Friday, April 4.
The agreement, which includes a 5.8 percent salary raise in exchange for a teachers' benefits contribution, will be voted on by 350 union members later in April. If ratified, it would become a 3-year contract. If voted down, they would head back to the negotiating table.
Chief negotiator for the teacher's union Adrian Novotny said, "The benefits contribution is minor in my view, but some are objecting to any benefits payment at all."
The contract requires full-time teachers to make a benefits contribution.?Some members said the agreement may be the beginning of increased payments.
Novotny said, "Classified employees and administrators are paying a lot of money for their benefits and the fear is that the next time we go to the negotiating table, they are going to ask us for more."
Vice President of Human Resources Rose Del Gaudio said, "We wish that health care still cost as much as it did 80 years ago. As of July 1, 2008, all of our benefit renewal plans are costing the district an increase of 12.8 percent or $1,275,121 million.
She added, "We feel it is important that the employee be a partner in managing our health care costs."
Former ASB Vice President Nicole Pena said, "A strike would have hurt LBCC tremendously and settling it is important for the school to keep its credibility."
She added,?"The teachers have a right to strike, especially if they are being underpaid in comparison to other Community College teachers, but they should contribute at least a little bit to their benefits."
Novotny reffered to the benefits contribution as "miniscule" and acknowledged that all other LBCC employees make contributions to their benefits.
More than 80,000 state employees were laid off in April. Novotny said, "A benefits contribution is the best deal that we could make under the circumstances. I'm hoping that the faculty will ratify it so we can move on, but I'm really not sure how it is going to go."
The agreement, which includes a 5.8 percent salary raise in exchange for a teachers' benefits contribution, will be voted on by 350 union members later in April. If ratified, it would become a 3-year contract. If voted down, they would head back to the negotiating table.
Chief negotiator for the teacher's union Adrian Novotny said, "The benefits contribution is minor in my view, but some are objecting to any benefits payment at all."
The contract requires full-time teachers to make a benefits contribution.?Some members said the agreement may be the beginning of increased payments.
Novotny said, "Classified employees and administrators are paying a lot of money for their benefits and the fear is that the next time we go to the negotiating table, they are going to ask us for more."
Vice President of Human Resources Rose Del Gaudio said, "We wish that health care still cost as much as it did 80 years ago. As of July 1, 2008, all of our benefit renewal plans are costing the district an increase of 12.8 percent or $1,275,121 million.
She added, "We feel it is important that the employee be a partner in managing our health care costs."
Former ASB Vice President Nicole Pena said, "A strike would have hurt LBCC tremendously and settling it is important for the school to keep its credibility."
She added,?"The teachers have a right to strike, especially if they are being underpaid in comparison to other Community College teachers, but they should contribute at least a little bit to their benefits."
Novotny reffered to the benefits contribution as "miniscule" and acknowledged that all other LBCC employees make contributions to their benefits.
More than 80,000 state employees were laid off in April. Novotny said, "A benefits contribution is the best deal that we could make under the circumstances. I'm hoping that the faculty will ratify it so we can move on, but I'm really not sure how it is going to go."
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