Dateline Norwalk – Several Cerritos College faculty members, with vocal student support, attended last Wednesday’s Trustees meeting to protest what they claim are unfair wages and working conditions.
Negotiations have not been going well, says Solomon Namala, co-chair of the Cerritos College Economics Department and Faculty Federation president.
“We’re the only community college in the state without a complete contract yet,” he said. “We have been a union for 13 years, and we don’t have a contract.”
The Faculty Union is fighting for higher pay, expanded office hours for both part-time and fulltime staff, fair compensation for other activities such as serving as department chair, offering more classes, and reduced class sizes.
In a statement sent out on Feb. 12, the Faculty Federation stated, “The faculty of Cerritos College believes they are not fairly paid compared to nine other community college districts. Part-time faculty at Cerritos College is paid one of the lowest salaries when compared to surrounding community colleges. The District sits on a $50 million reserve. This is taxpayer money that should be invested in students and should be spent toward their success. The number of sections being taught across campus is still 15 percent below the peak prior to the recession in 2007. There are fewer courses offered across campus and class sizes are larger, while spending on administration has risen.”
Dr. Shin Liu, Cerritos College Board president, told Hews Media Group-Community Newspaper that the District does not have $50 million in available reserves.
“We have about $30 million for student success initiatives, class expansion and reserves for when we have another recession,” he said. We’ve already committed about $1.3 million for tutoring, more student programs, and we are hiring more counselors and faculty.”
Miya Walker, Director of College Relations and Public Affairs, called it “unfortunate” that the Faculty Fed gas rejected a 10 percent raise spread over three years. “The District extended a 10 percent increase to the faculty union for fulltime faculty and 16 percent to part-time faculty over three years, which is far above other colleges in the region.
“The Union has asked the District for more than 30 percent in salary increases. The District is hopeful that the faculty union will return to the negotiating table to reach a fair resolution.”
“The statement that faculty is asking for a 30 percent salary increase is absolutely false,” said Mr. Namala.
Lyndsey Lefebvre, vice president of part-time faculty and member of the negotiating team, said that what has been offered is “kind of sad.”
According to Ms. Lefebvre, the group was trying to complete a three-year salary deal. The last two years, the College offered 2.5 percent.
“There are couple of issues here,” Mr. Namala said. “First, our part-time faculty is the lowest paid in the area, if they were working fulltime at those wages, it would be barely above poverty level.
“Many of our fulltime faculty members are stuck on their salary schedules, with no increase in pay for some in over a decade, while management can move up a step in pay within six months, it’s not fair.”
Mr. Hews may be contacted at loscerritosnews.net
