More than 100 people wearing red, white and blue California School Employees Association T-shirts picketed in front of the Bakersfield College Weill Institute.

They said they were there to protest the treatment they received from the college’s administration in negotiations about the fate of the campus security force.

“By law, we have the right to negotiate (the contracts of BC’s security). Management decided no longer to negotiate with us and basically told us they were going to lay everybody off, and then re-hire under the the new classification (at less pay),” said Mike Noland, the labor relations representative for CSEA, during the protest Feb. 13.

Noland also said administrators could not produce any documents to prove they had the right to take this course of action.

Others within CSEA were equally frustratred with the administration’s handling of the security department.

“To lay off for a lack of work is illegal, because there was not a lack of work, just a change in job description,” said Janet Skibinski, president of the college’s CSEA chapter.

Michele Bresso, BC’s director of marketing and public relations, responded to the allegations, saying that the fate of campus security will eventually be decided by the district’s Human Resources Department. Ray Quan, the department’s director, could not be reached for comment.

Although the CSEA represents a variety of classified employees, the protesters’ signs indicated that they were all upset about recent actions against school employees.

“There was not an open spirit of communication and who really suffers is us as a community,” said Doug Moore, an energy manager in his fifth year at Bakersfield College. Moore also said he had never received such treatment while working at other colleges.

According to Noland, college officials are reassigning employees without negotiating with the union, which he maintains is a contract violation. He said the union is planning to file an unfair labor practice charge. against the college.

Skibinski said that during a Feb. 8 union meeting, members passed a vote of no confidence in BC President Dr. Sandra Serrano and district Chancellor Dr. Walter Packard.

Negotiations are expected to continue Wednesday.

“It’s tough, especially when you have put in 110 percent and worked dilligently to protect the students, staff and faculty,” said Augie Gutierrez, a 19-year veteran of the BC security force.