Salary increase approved

LBCC teachers received a 5.8 percent salary increase in a 141-124 vote ending Friday, April 25. The voting marked the conclusion of an 18-month negotiation between the full-time teachers union and the LBCC District.Chief negotiator for the teacher's union Adrian Novotny said, "Teachers will receive a 5.8 percent raise in exchange for contributing to their health care costs."

The agreement was voted on by 350 union members and the raises will be retroactive to January 1, 2008 for all full-time teachers.

Novotny said, "Payroll will advise shortly as to when the increases will take place. The first will be a 4.8 percent raise retroactive to January 1, 2008. The second one will be an additional 1percent effective July 1, 2008."

The health care cost contribution from teachers will vary depending on the number of dependents. Teachers will contribute an amount equivalent to 3 percent of the health care cost plan if they are single, 5 percent if they have one dependent and 7 percent if they have 2 or more dependents.

Vice President of Human Resources Rose Del Gaudio said, "We feel that it is important that the employee be a partner in managing our health care costs."

Del Gaudio went on to say that as of July 1, 2008, benefit renewal plans are costing the district an increase of 12.8 percent.

Novotny said, "At first the district wanted to negotiate for a percentage contribution of the health care costs. Since costs will increase, our contribution will also increase, so we refused this offer. Instead, we agreed on a fixed dollar amount equivalent to the current percent costs."

Novotny went on to say that the negotiation team felt that this was the best deal they were going to get at this time.

Novotny added that this phase of the negotiation is over. The next set of negotiations will start in August of this year.

Novotny said, "These negotiations will concern the changing of the semester from 18 weeks to 16 weeks with two inter-sessions.