The debate between the classified workers’ union and the Kern Community College District over a health-care benefits cap has come to an end – at least for now.
Both sides came to a tentative agreement during their second mediation session on Jan. 26.
The agreement has to be voted on and ratified by Bakersfield College, Porterville College and Cerro Coso Community College California School Employee Association (CSEA) members. Once ratified by CSEA, it then has to be approved by the KCCD board of trustees.
If the agreement is not ratified the two parties will go back to negotiations, which ended previously in October, leading up to the recent mediations.
BC’s representative for the district during mediations, Ed Knudson said the details of the tentative agreement are a salary increase, which is retroactive to July 1, a reference group of colleges that was established and a formula that will be used to determine future salary increases. Life insurance benefits will be increased from $12,000 to $50,000. The medical benefits will be funded through June 30, 2007, with a premium that will be established Oct. 1, 2006.
Between now and June 30, 2007, classified employees will not have to contribute toward their health care premiums. “We will go into negotiations for the entire contract probably this time next year,” said Knudson.
CSEA members let their cause be heard in various ways, both CSEA approved, such as picketing in front of the residences of KCCD board members John Rogers, Pauline Larwood Dennis Beebe and Kay Meek, and non-CSEA approved, such as placing fliers on just about every building on the BC campus during the first week of school.
CSEA Representative Jennifer Marden said protesting in front of board members residences was a way for the classified employees voices to be heard when other avenues were exhausted.
“It’s very simple, we approached board members at board meetings, in letters, in e-mails and frankly had not gotten any response to them, said Marden.
“The classified employees of this chapter felt very strongly about communicating with them and getting what they had to say heard and getting a response. We weren’t getting one,” said Marden.
Marden answered critics comments about protesting in front of board members residences.
“There’s been the comment, is that too personal, going to someone’s home? We have a couple of responses to that. One, is board members are elected officials. They are open to public scrutiny. Secondly, proposing a cap to classified employees hits (employees) home and so picketing in front of (board members) houses is no less personal than that,” she said.
As far as the signs go, Marden said CSEA did not organize the signs and does not know of who did.
“It is a violation of the postage of signs rules for any organization,” said Knudsen. “All organizations must request throughout the Student Activities office permission to post signs on campus, and those signs are limited to approved bulletin boards and that goes for anybody.”
He said there are bulletin boards used strictly for faculty, classified and management on campus.
On Jan. 25, there were rumors of a classified worker “sickout,” in which numerous employees call in sick in protest and do not show up for work. Marden said the absence of workers on that day was not CSEA organized.
Knudsen said the district did not determine Jan. 25 to be a sickout and the employees who did not show up for work did not affect the operations of the campus because it was a small percentage of the overall number of employees.