PCC Courier, September 14, 2000

The VOL. 86 NO. 4 News At A Glance Student Government The lobby commit¬ tee is now accepting applications for the academic year 2000- 2001. The lobby commit¬ tee works in conjunc¬ tion with various lob¬ bying groups in the area to encourage political leaders to vote for bills that would help Pasadena City College and the community. Members are expected to dedicate three to five hours a week on lobby com¬ mittee business. Applications are due by noon Friday Sept. 15. They are available in the Student Affairs office. Web Extra Your Health The Student Health Center offers a full slate of serv¬ ices ranging from HIV tests to ТВ screening. Records are kept confidential and students can get a number of medica¬ tions for free. Drop by the center in the U Building or check out the full story on our website at www.pcc- courieronline.com. Politics The AS is hosting a “Candidates Forum” Tuesday, Sept. 19, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. that will be held in the CC lounge on PCC’s campus. The AS has invited local lawmak¬ ers and their oppo¬ nents to speak to stu¬ dents. Confirmed speakers that are Congressman James Rogan, Assemblyman Jack Scott, and Susan Carpenter McMillan. Weather REPORT Today: High: 95° Low: 65° Sunday: S2C Low: 63° Pasadena Since 1915 www.pcc-courieronlme.com SEPTEMBER 14, 2000 Faculty, staff protest offer A proposed 5 percent pay raise prompts angry response By Tim Alves In a bold move, instructors joined the classified staff demon¬ strating outside a jammed board of trustees meeting calling for a more fair and equitable pay raise for all employees. Carrying large signs reading “Up Your Cola,” “Share The Wealth,” and “If Not This Year, Then When?” and chanting “Point 83 is not for me,” the group of about 100 presented a unified front of dissatisfaction to the arriving board members and curious onlookers. As the meeting started, demon¬ strators filled the available chairs inside the Circadian, while the rest spilled over into the back patio and hovered around the exits. Representatives from the full-time instructors, part-time teachers, classified staff and the Community Education Center (CEC) harangued the board with a litany of broken promises of fair pay raises and misplaced priorities. “What is evident is that this board and this administration is purely concerned with appear¬ ances. The 2000 Commencement and the 75th Anniversary were high budget affairs. I guarantee that appearances are paramount,” said Carmen Porreca, classified employee. Over and over, the board heard each of the five designated speak¬ ers refer to a promise the college made years ago when state budget cutbacks forced the community college system and PCC to make drastic cuts and difficult sacrifices. “In 1983, nearly one-third of the faculty were pink slipped. It was a very difficult time. Faculty avoided faculty; faculty and administrators would steer clear of each other. However, we were told to hang in there because we were a family. We were told to get through the tough times together. I bought into that,” said Lee Reinhartsen, professor in the English and foreign languages division. Reinhartsen, as did all of the speakers, said he now questioned whether his loyalty was mis¬ placed. Porreca decried a broken prom- КЗ* _ *Ш£ _ IsiVrtWTl 1 PCC feTAFF j ** Kr«Lf RA13P j .H/P . |yw*i CftAj Panit Buranapramset / The Courier Faculty and staff demonstrate for a big pay raise in front of the Circadian . ise by the board two years ago to hire new support staff to help raise morale and ease heavy workloads. Board approves new budget Trustees green light $133 million operating schedule for fiscal year 2000-2001 By Robert Glassey A record $133 million budget for the 2000- 200 1 fiscal year was approved by the board of trustees Wednesday, Sept.6, on a 6-1 vote. The board adopted the budget despite impassioned pleas from faculty and classified employees for a raise bigger than the 5 percent allotted in the budget. The pleas and the subsequent vote came amid the groans and guffaws of a spirited, but civil, protest by about 100 employees as they watched the proceedings from the patio out¬ side the Circadian. Dr. Robert Matthew, interim vice president for administrative services, presented the board with a budget that matches the college’s spending with its income" for the year. The budget has a reserve of $5.5 million, 5 percent of the general fund, the operating budget for the college. The budget provision for a 5 percent raise means an additional $3.1 million in salary and benefits for the employees of the college. Most of this raise comes from an increase in state funding to adjust for the higher cost of living caused by inflation. Salaries and benefits consume 79 percent of the $89.5 million unrestricted general fund. Total employee compensation of $70.7 mil¬ lion is- $8.1 million higher than last year. This increase represents not only the district’s cur¬ rent offer to employees, but also automatic raises based on education and years of service. And it represents a paycheck for the equivalent of 11 full-time employees who were not here last year. Salaries and benefits consume 79 percent of the $89.5 million unrestricted general fund. Adoption of the budget may have the effect of hardening the district’s bargaining position in its negotiations with faculty and classified unions. However, Beth Wells-Miller, trustee for area 7, said she voted against passage of the budget because of what she believes to be “inadequate funding for part-time and full time faculty.” “Without them what have you got?” she asked. “A lot of buildings and lawns” Many employees have seen the state-fund¬ ed “partnership for excellence” fund as an pos¬ sible source of money for raises Money in this program, in only its third year, is restricted to uses that improve student learning and success. Among its many possi¬ ble uses are hiring new faculty, moving an instruct BUDGET, page 5 He said the classified staff labored under the stressful conditions with PROTEST, page 5 Two AS members quit posts Possible MTA strike could strand students By Tim Alves A threatened strike by Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) drivers and mechanics has PCC students scrambling to find ways to make it to class. The strike, scheduled for Friday at 12:01 a.m., would have an impact on over 500,000 com¬ muters in the greater Los Angels County area. Should the strike happen, as three of the workers’ unions have promised, the walkout would affect MTA bus, train and rail lines including service to Pasadena and the college. The college estimates that as many as half of the 29,000 students attending PCC use some form of public transportation to make it to school. “This strike is really scaring me. I don’t have any way to get here except on the bus. There is no other alternative for me, I have four-day work week and health and retirement benefits has been in negotiations for the past several weeks with no sign of a settle- “This strike is really scaring me. don’t have any way to get here except on the bus.” Gwen Stevenson, student to ride the bus to get my educa¬ tion,” said Gwen Stevenson, stu¬ dent. The MTA normally runs about 2,000 buses on 200 routes throughout the Southland. The dispute, centering around a ment. The MTA has said it is try¬ ing to get the unions back to the bargaining table and thinks a strike can be averted. However, many students are decidedly less optimistic than the MTA. “I don’t care what their issues are, they should still keep working and let their bosses handle the negotiating. Some of them should remember how hard it is to get around this city by bus. If they go on strike, they’re really hurting the people who need it the most,” said Frank Sierra, student. For the buses that will not be runing, the college has ordered extra local bus schedules and is helping students arrange alterna¬ tive transportation. Roxanne Avalos, who oversees the Air Quality Management Department “transportation trol¬ ley” kiosk in the quad, said her staff is working to make sure stu¬ dents get personal help as they MTA, page 5 By Kristen Glover Not even five weeks into the new semester and already two AS Board members have resigned. Nelly Niebles, vice president for student services and Laurie Yelton, vice president for academ¬ ic affairs, both resigned their posi¬ tions to attend University of Southern California (USC). Their resignations were accepted at last Wednesday’s meeting. “I ran for the position believing I was going to defer transferring a year. I also didn’t know I was going to be accepted until late summer. I also didn’t know what my financial aid package was going to be. I finally went down to USC and said T need to know how much you’re going to give me.’ I was handed an incredible package. 1 only had 24 hours to decide. It was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make. I hope the person that takes my position keeps leadership in mind. I also hope they keep the constituents in mind in their decisions,” Niebles said. According to George Magdaleno, vice president for external affairs, Yelton was also planning to defer her acceptance a year to be able to pay the tuition. However, she also got a financial aid package that allowed her to attend this year. The AS has had a problem with members resigning. In the 1 998- 1 999 school year, four members resigned, one was Kristian Magnani who only had a month and half left in his term when he AS QUIT, page 4 Tommorrow: iHigh: 84° Low: 65° Saturday: High: 83° Low: 64° - Trash compactor catches fire Pasadena fire depart¬ ment and PCC main¬ tenance employees work to put out a fire that sent smoke billowing into the air. Mike Cervantes / The Courier Acrid fumes force L Building evacuation By Derek Blackway Students hoping to make coun¬ seling appointments yesterday were turned away after pungent fumes permeated the L Building. The building was evacuated for about an hour until the fumes began to dissipate. As soon as the doors opened at 7:30 a.m., students and staff were hit with the odor of what seemed to be lingering nail polish remover. Many students and employees immediately began complaining of the putrid stench in the offices. However, it wasn’t until 10:15 a.m. that Dr. Stuart Wilcox, associ¬ ate dean of admissions and records, decided to evacuate the building. The fumes came from lacquer¬ ing polish used on the wood doors in the counseling office. After the work was completed, the building was closed up for the night and the fumes stayed in the building. At least three fans were brought into hallways to bring some relief to workers. “Some people went home sick complaining of having headaches,” said Maryann Mayer, a counselor. Other employees complained of nausea and scratchy throats. Students who wanted to make counseling appointments were turned away because about half of the counselors went home and the other half had to deal with the appointments of the those who left or were feeling too ill to work. The Counseling Office is open for business as usual today. 4_