PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 18, 2011
CONTACT:
Blanca Gallegos
(213) 500-9594
Workers sacrifice increases and accept some cuts to their health coverage in order to preserve student services and maintain campus quality.
Library aides, custodians, cafeteria workers, and other members of SEIU Local 99 voted on and overwhelmingly ratified their 2010–2013 contract with the District in elections conducted February 14–17.
Due to state cuts, the College District was facing a multimillion dollar budget shortfall. Difficult decisions were deemed necessary, such as the near-elimination of a department that assisted disabled students on campus and some cuts to health coverage.
“We recognize that we all need to be making sacrifices right now. It’s hard to see student services and health care cut, but this is a difficult economy and workers are willing to be a part of the solution to get past these hard times,” said Dan Casey, who works in the accounting department at Oxnard College and served on the team that negotiated the agreement.
Employees were able to gain some ground on administrative transparency, clarification of work duties, and a plan for professional growth and success on the job.
“It will help to collaborate with our supervisors when thinking about how to improve the services we’re providing the student body,” said Casey. “Having a clear plan to reach our goals and a good system for reviewing progress is a positive step.”
Also in the settlement is a provision to re-visit the contract for the 2012-2013 school year.
“As the state budget situation unfolds, we remain committed to working with the District to ensure that the services we provide for Ventura County students face minimal disruption,” said Dan Casey.
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SEIU Local 99 is a union of more than 43,000 education workers, including K-12 schools, early education centers, and community colleges. We are teachers, paraeducators, custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, and others working in schools, colleges, and administrative offices throughout Southern California.
