Ohlone California School Employee Association (CSEA) President Linda Evers said Wednesday any contract between its 144 members and Ohlone to take a pay cut to offset its share of the college’s 2009-10 budget deficit depends on the college cutting about 100 student employees. CSEA is a union of clerical-type full-time permanent employees. Evers said it is unfair for CSEA employees to take five unpaid furlough days, equivalent to a 4 percent pay cut, when its employees’ work is indispensable as compared to that of student assistants. Student assistants are deployed throughout the college to do jobs such as filing papers, helping with lab maintenance and tutoring other students. These students are employed by the college “at will” and can be laid off without cause and usually work 10 to 15 hours per week for minimum wage or slightly higher. According to Dean of Business Services Joanne Schultz, Ohlone reduced payments to student assistants from $250,000 to $170,000 and is likely to pay substantially less than $530,000 to student employees next year. The negotiations between the district and the college’s three unions is aimed at resolving a budget deficit of $700,000 which developed when the state announced mid-year cuts in college funding. Ohlone has responded to the reduced state funding by cutting 20 percent of last summer’s classes, plus more than 170 class sections for fall semester. A retirement incentive package for teachers and staff members is expected to save more than $650,000 this year. In addition, severe cuts are expected in next summer’s class offerings, and there is even a possibility that another round of budget cuts will be necessary in the next fiscal year.The CSEA based its bargaining position on California Education Code Section 88017. According to Section 88017(c), “[a] classified employee may not be laid off if a short-term employee is retained to render a service that the classified employee is qualified to render.” The college has employed attorney Deanne Mouser of Atkinson Andelson Loya Ruud & Romo to negotiate on its behalf with CSEA. Evansquestioned the college’s choice of paying expensive attorney’s fees during this budget crisis when administrators are qualified to act as negotiators for the college. Since 2008, the Dean of Human Resources position at Ohlone College was being held on an interim basis. According to Schultz, employing
an attorney was necessary to ensure continuity in negotiations because Ohlone did not have a permanent Dean of Human Resources to act as a negotiator with the unions. Shairon Zingsheim joined Ohlone College as the permanent Dean of Human Resources this month. Alan Kirshner, chief negotiator for the United Faculty Ohlone (UFO), said UFO has reached an agreement with the district, subject to a ratification vote Friday. This agreement would tentatively save the college $400,000 by waiving $130,000 to $140,000 in back pay from the 2007-’08 contract. To save the college an additional $140,000, the faculty will be furloughed for four flex days or 24 hours, equivalent to the faculty losing 1.2 percent of their salaries for the spring semester. Evans, who works as a supervisor and technician in the biology laboratory, has several students working under her supervision. She said she is sad about the prospect that they could be laid off. She said, “We love students and that’s why we end up working for a college. Consequently we let ourselves be abused by getting caught up in situations where we work for no pay because we want the students to succeed.” Kirshner expects UFO to finish its vote in about two weeks, because part-time teachers must be given time to vote According to President Dr. Gari Browning, Ohlone Service Employees International Union (SEIU), a union of about 100 facility or maintenance workers headed by custodian James Dempsey, has tentatively agreed to a 4 percent pay cut. Dempsey was not available for comment. Browning and all 45 managerial employees have agreed to take five furlough days, which is equivalent to slightly less than a 4 percent pay cut. Browning has waived any increase in salary. Usually, if an Ohlone college president receives a good yearly evaluation, the Board votes to give an increase in salary. Such an increase was in the works for Browning after her passing evaluation in September. At the Faculty Senate Meeting on Tuesday, Jessica Reynolds of the Lew Edwards Group reported a poll of Fremont, Union City, and Newark residents about Ohlone College. She determined that 61 percent of the respondents, who are potential voters, think that Ohlone should pass a bond for $350 million for construction and facilities improvements. A 55 percent majority of votes is required to pass this type of bond. Building facilities for the sciences, medicine, mathematics and technology was particularly attractive to voters. The Board of Trustees plans to vote to place the bond measure on the ballot in July of 2010.
By Kathryn Dixon
Staff writer
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