Cerritos College faculty members met this week to demand that community college authorities not change health insurance costs right now, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Walter Fernández, who has been a history teacher at the school since 1995, said that teachers received a letter from the school on September 15, announcing that from November 2021 the costs of health insurance will increase depending on the plan. that they have.
The change does not affect all teachers, like Fernández whose plan is one of the most basic. However, he indicated that it does affect them as a union and considers it a maneuver by the management to renew the contract.
The teacher added that in the past, during a negotiation between the Cerritos College Faculty Federation (CCFF) and the college board, a limit to the amount of health insurance was agreed upon. This allows the college to cover the majority of the college’s medical insurance; with the exceptions of those who choose specific insurance that is more expensive.
“Now that the contract has to be renegotiated, the District unanimously decided that they will not continue with the limit[por lo que] some teachers are going to have to pay the difference on their own, ”said Fernández.
Employees consider this to be an unfair decision amid the Covid-19 pandemic. And that the most affected are those who buy coverage for their children or have more flexible plans to provide care for very sick relatives.
“They have already tried to do this several times in the past, at least three times,” Fernández said. “So we are going to tell them that if they support this change when there are elections, the union is not going to forget this decision.”
What would the changes be?
By tradition, Cerritos College – which is located south of Los Angeles – has covered all medical care, not only for the faculty and full-time staff, but also for their dependents, said Lynn Wang, president of CCFF.
“The letter they received said that if your premium is over $ 23,500 for a family plan [los empleados] they will have to pay the difference, ”explained Wang.
“So if the plan for a family of three is more expensive than $ 23,500, then [los empleados] they have to pay the gap in their payroll which for many people is around $ 300 more or less and they will take it out of their paycheck ”.
Wang said that those employees with cheaper plans, for example $ 22,000 a year will not be affected but it all depends on the plan that each employee has.
April Bracamontes, a professor of communication studies and chief negotiator for the teachers’ union, said the planned cut is “unnecessary and cruel.”
He added that the cost to continue to cover health insurance premiums for full-time teachers is just over $ 300,000 a year. “This seems like a lot, but it is a drop of water when you compare it with the annual budget of the university, which is $ 127 million,” he said.
He added that last year Cerritos College ended the year with a surplus of $ 7 million and that a surplus of $ 4 million is already projected this year.
“We also already have $ 37 million in our reserves, which are intended to be used during difficult times. Providing medical care to employees during a pandemic seems to be one of those difficult times, ”said Bracamontes.
CCFF represents about 250 full-time and 700 part-time teachers. Cerritos Community College employs about 1,500 people of which nearly 614 are full-time employees.
So far, the college has fully covered the health care premiums for all full-time employees, managers, and even elected trustees who choose to receive coverage through the district.
The protest that began at the corner of Alondra and Studebaker culminated outside the room where a meeting with the school’s board of directors was taking place.
The protesters offered public testimony, and Wang said the board was attentive to their concerns.
What does the campus say?
Cerritos College confirmed that it has been in negotiations with the CCFF since February 2021 and does not plan to reduce or eliminate its “generous premium contribution of $ 23,500” to health care for full-time faculty per year.
“The critical need for health care for our employees and their families, especially during these unprecedented times, is an integral part of the discussion,” said Miya Walker, spokesperson for Cerritos College.
“Although the collective bargaining agreement with CCFF expired on June 30, 2021, under its terms, the District’s obligations with respect to health care premiums that exceed the negotiated limit of $ 23,500 per year were extended through December 31, 2021 “.
He added that Cerritos values the faculty and their efforts to help students receive the best education possible and is eager to continue the negotiation process. “We will continue to negotiate in good faith and work with the CCFF to finalize a fair contract,” said Walker.
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