The Citrus Community College district has reached an agreement with the faculty after two day-long bargaining sessions with the appointed mediator.
Dave Brown, Citrus College Faculty Association bargaining chair and automotive instructor, said in a phone interview on April 27 that the negotiations should be settled within the next week or two.
Brown said both the district and faculty have signed a tentative agreement awaiting approval at the next board of trustees meeting on May 4. The faculty unit will also need to approve the settlement via electronic voting ballots, which are due by 3 p.m. May 7.
The Public Employment Relations Board, an agency in charge of administering the bargaining regulations for employees of California’s public schools, colleges and universities, agreed that the negotiations were at an impasse on March 26. The bargaining sessions were on April 12 and 20.
“We were able to reach an agreement,” Brown said in an April 26 email to colleagues. “It is likely not the agreement many folks might have been hoping for, but it does preserve all of the good parts of the District’s Last, Best, and Final offer from back in November.”
According to the email, the enhancements made to the contract are a 2% off-schedule bonus payment, which will be paid back from Jan. 1, 2021, to the end of the contract date on Dec. 31, 2023. All full-time faculty will receive a one-time payment of $2,200 each year of the agreement. There will also be a $2,500 increase to the existing retirement incentive of $5,000 for those who retire during the agreement term.
Brown said additional changes to the contract include:
- improved working conditions for the librarians, the college nurse and counselors
- A clearer description on how dues will be collected
- A clearer description on how faculty benefits are provided
“This mediated settlement represents movement on the part of both the District’s team and our team,” Brown said. “As such, I’d like to thank the District for engaging in this process in good faith.”
