PCC Courier, September 23, 1983

Assembly Must Reconvene t Colleges Denied State Funding By Leann Sumner News Editor Presidents of California’s community col¬ leges met with Chancellor Jerry Hayward Wednesday in Sacramento and agreed to “en¬ courage the legislature to go back into session and pass AB207,” a bill already passed in the Senate combining tuition and restoration of $108.5 million, said Dr. John W. Casey, super¬ intendent-president. Since Gov. George Deukmejian vetoed the restoration bill and Speaker of the Assembly Willie Brown declared he would not reconvene the Assembly, “The main thrust of our action at this point is to convince Assembly members they should reconvene,” said Casey. “We are concentrating on the positive at this point rather than on the negative.” PCC could receive $2 million if the $108.5 million is indeed appropriated from the state reserve fund. However, if the funds are not restored the college faces a $2.5 million deficit in addition to the $3.8 million shortfall projected last spring. In order for the college to receive funding during this school year the legislature must act by Oct. 2. “If the legislature refuses to act we will begin serious discussion on how to get through the current school year.” Without state funds $850,000 must be cut from the budget after the “obvious reductions in expenditures.” “People will be hurt needlessly. The money is there; this is strictly a political squabble bewtween the governor and Willie Brown,” said Casey. “We will examine all other avenues before any more people are laid off. Classified posi¬ tions are the most vulnerable. They are critical to the operation and I hope we don’t have to take that action.” Those holding positions ranging from custo¬ dians to secretaries to supervisors must receive 30 days notice of a layoff. However budget cuts will not be made until after October 2, said Casey. After Deukmejian cut $232 million from the state community college budget, the chancellor’s office divided it among the 70 districts on the basis of Average Daily Atten¬ dance (ADA). “In my opinion the governors veto Wednes¬ day did not make that much difference as far as the college receiving funding. Without legisla¬ tive action it would have been placed in an escrow account out of our reach. The effect of his action was more political than it was financial.” “Tuition would affect lower income stu¬ dents,” said Casey. “However, 96 percent of the students in a financial stress category become eligible for financial aid from the college when tuition is charged.” The Board of Trustees adopoted a balanced budget for the college in August. Casey is “not satisfied with the budget as it is, and it will be revised regardless of what happens in Sacra¬ mento.” Cutting Back and Enhancing Revenue The recent raise in non-resident tuition from $77 to $90 per unit brings in $200,000 in revenue annually. Materials fees charged for the first time this fall produce $100,000 per year. “We are not filling many of the vacancies created by retirements,” said Casey. Instead persons holding other positions absorb the work and as a result “the work is being done much slower.” The number of substitutes employed by the college has also been reduced. Further cut¬ backs are made in the acquisition of equipment, supplies and in maintenance. “However, if we defer repairs for too long we will run into some very costly repairs,” said Casey. The increase in class sizes also saves the college money. “This is the action the college was forced to take, and will reverse as soon as possible.” “Larger classes are less desirable since much student interaction is lost,” said Casey. “However, there is not much evidence to support the belief that smaller classes offer a better quality of education.” “In some classes less discussion is needed than in others. In a large lecture class an outstanding lecturer is very effective. Larger classes do change an instructor’s teaching and testing style.” Fewer courses will be offered in the spring, but the current ADA contract must be main¬ tained. “If we don’t produce the ADA our state funding will be cut back.” Faculty morale is low “which is understan¬ dable,” said Casey. “The termination of a large number of its members makes people insecure and angry at the system. We are doing our best to bring the morale back up.” PCC a ШШШг я Имач||| I iipiiiui: ЯШ щь llllllti HIM Fallout f . щи штшттшшш «щршрржй, gif тр||р™яИ •II Ш1 V® wm lii Fashions И ■■■ . : ЁнпВГ See Page 3 ' ' Г.|«: > ^ шШяшШШМ VOL. 56, NO. 4 PASADENA CITY COLLEGE, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA SEPTEMBER 23, 1983 Heated Salary Negotiations Continue Unfair Labor Practices Charge Filed By Lisa Lowery Staff Writer Summer long contract negotiations between the district and PCC/CTA continue. An unfair labor practice suit against the district was filed Sept. 8, with the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), according to Dr. Gary L. Woods, PCC/CTA president and practicing Pasadena lawyer. The basis of this legal suit emerges from the district’s unilateral decision to increase maximum class size from 40 to 150 or according to fire regula¬ tions, which is as many students as the facility will hold. Woods said the district ignored past practices on class size and assigned large class instruction (LGI) to ap¬ proximately 30 instructors without negotiation or PCC/CTA approval. Woods maintains this unilateral de¬ cision is in violation of the existing contract. The imposed LGI mode threatens the quality education that the com¬ munity college is noted for, stated Woods. According to Edward Ortell, PCC/CTA chief negotiator, three ma¬ jor issues in the district's proposed contract concern the association. • A 3.5 percent salary cut and an approximate 30 pecent hourly wage cut. • A possible benefit cut consisting of instructors paying half of their own health and welfare plan with no cov¬ erage for their families. • LGI and the district’s unilateral decision to increase class size. In an emergency faculty meeting in the Forum, Sept. 15, members of the PCC/CTA Negotiating Team ad¬ dressed the approximate 110 attend¬ ing members of the Collective Bargaining Unit. Ortell informed the group the con¬ tract negotiations were at a stalemate. “The one change in the original proposal is the reduction of the six percent salary cut to 3.5 percent, but that is still unaccep¬ table,” said Ortell. “The salary cut would cost the average full-time in¬ structor about $1,000 per year.” Marion S. Murphy, Faculty Senate president, asked Ortell to explain the proposed management salary cut. “The cut is on a voluntary basis,” said Ortell. “It is considered a tax- free contribution to be restored when and if the college has the funds.” In a memorandum to Dr. John W. Casey, superintendent-president, the Management Association stated it “supports in principle, the return to the district of an equal percentage of our individual incomes. If the district receives appropriate funding, we ex¬ pect restoration of these funds.” Ernestine L. Moore, dean of coun¬ seling, said Tuesday the mechanics of the voluntary salary cut had not been established. “The district has asked for cuts from the administration, the approx¬ imate 100 teamsters and the white collars workers,” said Ortell. “They have agreed. Now they are asking us. I think we should say ‘hell no.’ ” The instructors applauded Ortell, and they began to input their own experiences and ideas. One instructor suggested they speak out in their classes and “look toward students for support. LGI hurts the students. When my time is diverted the quality of the class diminishes.” Another instructor assigned LGI asked what would happen if they refused to teach the overfilled class. “I asked the administration that,” said Ortell. “The reply was T would hate to consider...’ ” Ortell advised the instructors as¬ signed to LGI to work under protest. “We must challenge the district every chance we get. Work under protest, grieveit, write letters, file unfairs.” Ortell suggested they form a con¬ certed action committee to act as a watchdog over the administration, and the motion was carried unani¬ mously. Ben Rude, professor of Eng¬ lish volunteered to chair the com¬ mittee. mrnmmm ШШШшшг ___ И #!» STALEMATED — At an emergency meeting PCC/CTA chief negotiator Ed Ortell tells faculty a 3.5 percent pay cut is Unacceptable. — Courier photo by Jerome Gibson Faculty Paid by Donations Nursing Program Reinstated ROSE COURT HOPEFULS MEET— Pasadena Tournament of Roses Queen and Court Tryouts will be held at the Tournament House, 391 South Orange Grove Boulevard, Pasadena, on Saturday from 8 a m. to 5 p.m. and Monday afternoon from 3 p.m. tO 5 p.m. — Courier photo by Kent Zachary By-Richard Riehl Assistant News Editor Kristine T. deQueiroz, nursing de¬ partment chairperson, single-handedly raised $113,000 in private donations in order to revive the Licensed Vocational Nursing (LVN) program and rehire four instructors. The Board of Trustees approved re¬ instatement of the program on August 18, just three weeks before classes commenced, after it was virtually eliminated last March due to budget cuts. DeQueiroz’s fund raising efforts set a precedent at PCC, making the nurs¬ ing department the first ever to collect cash from private institutions to be used for instructors’ salaries. The board issued pink slips to 17 nursing teachers earlier this year as a result of budget cuts. Eight positions were eventually eliminated. The LVN program was hardest hit with the loss of its four instructors. Present donations made possible the reinstatement of three vocational nurs¬ ing instructors and one career nursing instructor for the present academic year only. Two of the vocational teach¬ ers are working fullrtime and the third is employed on a part-time basis. Beverly Enterprises, a long-term care facility based in Pasadena, con¬ tributed $25,000 with the stipulation that its funds be matched by another source. These seed funds were indeed matched by Kaiser Permanente ($37,000), Methodist Hospital of South¬ ern California in Arcadia ($25,000) and Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasa¬ dena ($25,000). The large institutions were not the first or last to contribute. Della Orec- chio, a PCC nursing student, and her husband donated $1,000 of their own money to the PCC Foundation when the fund raising was initiated. Last week a Pasadena resident pledged an un¬ solicited $100. DeQueiroz continues to solicit more funds locally. Additionally, she, four directors of nursing at local hospitals, and three PCC faculty members have organized a ‘special task force’ de¬ signed to lobby for future nursing needs in the area. The nursing department lost 50 per¬ cent of its administrative support staff which deQueiroz hopes to rehire through fund raising. The nursing pro¬ gram consists of 20 full-time and five part-time instructors. KPCC Airs Successful Fund-Raiser By Leann Sumner News Editor KPCC collected $11,500 of the $12,300 pledged to the the station during the “Drive to Survive” on-the-air fund-raiser August 1, 2 & 3. The funds enabled KPCC to reduce its California Public Broadcasting grant by $6300, said John Madden, KPCC general manager. The remainder of the intake must be split with National Public Radio (NPR). In conjunction with NPR, student and volunteer announcers called for private contributions. “The money came in almost immediately,” said Madden. “NPR told us about this fund-raiser two weeks before it began, and everyone worked very hard to put it together, ” said Madden. “I’m proud of the whole team.” KPCC’s share of the money is earmarked for the upgrading of its equipment. “We intend to use the funds raised for capital, not for operating costs,” he said. Madden plans to replace the cart machines and purchase automation equipment for the station as soon as possible. “This benefits students, providing them with a better training ground and also produces a better sound.” Station directors decided to let some time elapse before initating another fund drive. “We don’t want to be continually asking for money,” said Madden. They plan to conduct a nine day on-the-air fund-raiser early in 1984. The Board of Trustees also authorized KPCC to seek funds through program underwriting and direct solicitation of private and public entities for capital and operating funds. Program director Larry Shirk prepared an underwriting brochure to be distributed by mail to prospective underwriters. The guidelines for fund-raising adopted by the board allow the station to accept underwriting from firms and groups “compatible with the educational goals of the college.” “We are looking for corporations,” said Madden. “We will not accept underwriting from a liquor company, for example, or from political organiza¬ tions.” The board also created the position of ‘Development Director’ which has yet to be filled. This director will handle direct solicitation of funds and act as a back¬ up announcer. A central agency not yet designated by the board coordinates all of the station’s direct solicitations with those of other departments of the college “so that no two departments approach one particular source.” The board-adopted guidelines limit the station’s on-the-air fundraisers to four, each one lasting no more than ten days, with a maximum of 15 minutes per program hour devoted to soliciting funds. In addition, two solicitations to fund a specific program may be conducted during the year, each lasting a maximum of three days. — Courier photo by Kristy Larsen CALLING FOR FUNDS — Student and volunteer announcers asked for private donations during KPCC's ' Drive to Survive."