SAN MARCOS: Palomar College, faculty reach labor deal
Tentative agreement marks the end of contentious negotiations
By TOM PFINGSTEN - Staff Writer | ∞
SAN MARCOS ---- Campus leaders at Palomar College reached a tentative agreement Wednesday that officials said will provide faculty members with long-awaited raises and wrap up a year and a half of contentious labor negotiations.
According to the terms reached by negotiators, instructors will receive lump sum payments equal to 1.58 percent of their 2006-07 salaries, in addition to a 4.53 percent cost-of-living increase for the current school year.
The three-year contract, which is retroactive to July 2006, also includes a clause promising instructors 40 percent of any money that the college gets from the state for increased enrollment this year, and another 40 percent share of any such "growth revenue" next year.
Those figures must still be approved by the 1,100 members of the Palomar Faculty Federation, said the federation's co-president, Shannon Lienhart.
"We're very, very happy," Lienhart said following Wednesday's meeting. "We believe that we might be able to get this ratified and to the board within two weeks or so."
The district's negotiator, the vice president of human resources, John Tortarolo, called the tentative arrangement "a good agreement for both parties."
"We've spent a long time negotiating, and we had a lot to negotiate," he added.
If the instructors vote for the agreement, then the district's governing board will have to finalize it, officials said.
Another part of the agreement forged Wednesday calls for $300,000 to boost the pay schedules for entry-level professors as well as those who hold Ph.D.s, Lienhart said.
She said those who are the most educated as well as the least experienced are being paid less than their counterparts at other colleges, making it difficult to attract candidates when jobs open.
"What it means is that we'll be able to attract more (applicants) when we hire faculty," said Lienhart. "It's been difficult to attract really large pools of applicants for our positions, because our starting wages were very low."
Perhaps the most significant part of the agreement was the "growth revenue" clause that entitles teachers to approximately 40 percent of any money that the school receives for rising enrollment this year and next.
Using a complex formula, Lienhart estimated that a 1 percent increase in growth could result in about $360,000 worth of additional raises, which would be distributed among the 1,100 instructors.
Last month, college officials said spring enrollment reached a new high of 32,259 students taking at least one class, up from the previous record of 31,885 in fall 2006.
Herman Lee, director of enrollment services, said in March that those figures included 25,859 students enrolled in traditional college courses and 6,400 students taking free, community-based noncredit classes.
Wednesday's meeting came after nearly 18 months of negotiations, during which offers and counteroffers fell by the wayside and accusations of stalling were leveled.
In February, the teachers union filed a complaint with the Public Employment Relations Board, accusing the college district of using stall tactics, reneging on previous agreements and providing false financial projections, among other things.
While the complaint has not been resolved, officials said tensions eased considerably when a verbal agreement on the faculty contract issue was reached in early March.
College spokesman Mark Oggel said the governing board may hold a special meeting to approve the agreement once the faculty federation has ratified it, meaning that the new contract could be formally approved within two or three weeks.
Contact staff writer Tom Pfingsten at (760) 740-3516 or tpfingsten@nctimes.com. Comment at nctimes.com.
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Beth wrote on Apr 3, 2008 9:15 AM:Meanwhile as the fed state and county raise their wages benefits and pensions, the rest of us see our wages fall, no job security, little or no benefits, not to mention that many private sector jobs do not provide any pension plan whatsoever, will be required to pay more money via taxes. Where is the middle class taxpayer relief?
Nunya wrote on Apr 3, 2008 10:02 AM:Beth,School employees are limited in their wages to how the state is suffering. They can go years without any adjustment to pay for cost of living. Private sector employees can meet salaries on their own ambition and correct choices of who they work for. School employees, for the most part make tremendous sacrifices for the love of the education system. 1. Prepare yourself to be able to make choices in where you want to work, how much you want to earn, and benefits you want to receive. 2. Make good retirement choices early in life, with savings plans. Congratulations to Palomar's Faculty for reaching an agreement. Thanks for a job well done.
ugh wrote on Apr 3, 2008 12:53 PM:truly, i cant believe they gave them more money! they make great salaries already and palomar is in the red on their budget, so giving them more money is only doing to cost the students more in the long run to attend college.
down with the teachers union!
Monica wrote on Apr 3, 2008 6:39 PM:When one has spent at least 6 and usually 8 years, but often 10 years becoming an expert in both your subject area AND in the art and science of teaching it effectively to others, one deserves a commensurate salary. Most of the highly paid individuals in private enterprise have far less education and ;ess experience in what they do than the typical full-time educator. Without education, we are just another Third World country.
to Monica wrote on Apr 10, 2008 10:13 AM:Me thinks that we are nearly a third world country already! Remember who funds the public sector is the private sector. mANY of us are educated, but this country has sent our jobs off shore to remain competitive with the WORLD. Do not underestimate the carnage that has been done to the private sector
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