While big news was breaking in D.C. on Friday the 28th, the negotiation news out of Torrance was hardly news at all. It was simply more of the same – the same sad pattern of District indifference to the Federation's plea for economic parity with our peers at neighboring community colleges. Not exactly an October surprise.
Here are the numbers.
Federation proposal: Salary increases for both full- and part-time faculty of 6% in 2017; 4% in 2018; and 3% in 2019.
District proposal: Salary increases for full-time faculty of 1% in 2017; 1% or state-funded COLA, whichever is higher, in 2018; and 1% or state-funded COLA, whichever is higher, in 2019; salary for part-time faculty to be negotiated separately.
So the District that praises us every Flex Day as one of the finest community college faculties in the state has deigned to reward us with, what? – the privilege of just barely keeping up with inflation for the next three years? Thanks for that.
Or no thanks.
Though there were some added incentives in the District proposal, including a move to make "Step" 30 on the salary schedule an actual step rather than a 30-year-anniversary increase, the members of the Federation team considered the District offer an insult, and said so.
Chris Jeffries made a passionate argument for fairness and respect for all faculty, full-time and part-time alike; Susana Prieto produced chart after chart demonstrating what parity would actually look like; and Nina Velasquez noted that for 2017 our proposed raise would cause District expenditures to increase by approximately 2.75 million dollars. The District's current "Uncommitted Balance" of funds (not counting the state-mandated 5% reserve and other set-asides) is approximately 20 million dollars.
Let's hope November brings better news. Negotiations resume Friday.