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Union concessions prevent layoffs By Daniel DeBolt
T MICHELLE LE
El Camino employees picket outside the hospital June 29.
Hospital workers protest proposed cuts By Nick Veronin
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bout 35 members of the Service Employers International Union-United Healthcare Workers gathered on Grant Road in front of El Camino Hospital on June 29 to protest what one representative called “unwarranted” cuts to the union’s pay structure and health benefits. Carrying picket signs plastered with messages such as, “Shame on El Camino,” the protestors chanted slogans: “Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Bad faith bargaining has to go!” The SEIU-UHW represents cafeteria workers, janitors, dieticians, medical technicians, social workers and various other non-nurse, nonphysician and non-administrative employees of the hospital. According to Todd Schmitz, an SEIU-UHW representative, the workers at the protest are upset that
the hospital is seeking to eliminate the free employee healthcare plan. Under the proposed plan, SEIUUHW members would have to contribute at least 10 percent to insurance premiums for the lowest tier plan. Workers are also upset that the hospital is seeking to reduce differential pay — which guarantees employees better wages for working irregular shifts — by 5 percent. “They are clearly a hospital that is in good financial shape and they are calling for cuts that are unwarranted,” Schmitz said. Kim Reyes, a licensed vocational nurse at El Camino and member of the SEIU-UHW, said that she would have trouble supporting her 18-year-old daughter, who just started college, if the cuts go through. “It’s really important for me that
I retain my coverage for her,” Reyes said. Reyes believes El Camino will become a less competitive hospital if the proposed cuts are implemented. Hospital spokeswoman Chris Ernst saw things in a different light. She said that the proposed cuts are only aimed at putting all hospital employees on an equal plane when it comes to benefits and differential pay. All other employees at El Camino Hospital must contribute 10 percent to insurance premiums for the lowest tier benefits package, Ernst said. “Our goal is achieve parity at all levels within our organization,” she said. “We believe our plan to be competitive and a very rich benefit package, even with the employee contribution.” V
Community colleges brace for cuts, again REDUCTIONS INEVITABLE FOR FOOTHILL-DE ANZA, EVEN WITH $10M ‘RAINY DAY FUND’ By Nick Veronin
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ue to deep state cuts to public higher education, local community colleges will have to cut back on courses, turn away students and lay off part-time faculty in the coming school year, officials from the Foothill-De Anza Community College District said.
Though it is unclear how much state funding will be cut from the district’s budget in the 2011-12 school year, Linda Thor, FoothillDe Anza’s chancellor, expects to lose at least $8.5 million. The state has informed community colleges throughout California that cuts are definitely coming, Thor said. Further reductions could be in the works halfway
through the school year, if the state fails to come up with its goal of $4 billion in revenue. If at least $3 billion in the hopedfor state revenue materializes, there will be no further cuts to FoothillDe Anza beyond the $8.5 million, Thor said. However, in a worst-case scenario, the district will need to compensate for a reduction of about $10.5 million.
he City Council on Tuesday approved agreements with the city’s union leaders to prevent layoffs over the next year. Interim City Manager Melissa Stevenson Dile said the agreements with most of the city’s nonpublic safety employees would cut health care costs and vacation costs enough to keep the city from making any layoffs or unexpected budget cuts this year. Cost savings from the proposed contracts would save about $500,000 in 2011-12, which was the City Council’s goal. Dile said the cost savings comes from increasing hospital visit copayments to $10 for “non-preventative” medical visits for all three employee groups, saving $150,000. The co-payments were previously free or $5. Vacation policies changed for all three groups, reducing the amount that can be paid out in cash and putting caps on how much vacation time can accrue, reducing the city’s budget costs. Police and fire managers agreed to not take any merit pay raises or cost of living adjustments for the year, while department heads and council appointees agreed to do the same for the third year in a row. The SEIU also agreed to one unpaid day off during the year. SEIU leader Chris Costanzo said it was difficult for employees to put a cap on vacation time, as many employees see it as their only option for taking maternity leave. The city is unusual in not having a disability plan to allow that.
Because about 95 percent of the district’s revenue comes from the state, all cuts handed down from Sacramento are significant. According to Kevin McElroy, the district’s vice chancellor, Foothill-De Anza is bracing for a total deficit of $22.8 million, which they hope to make up for through class and staffing reductions, borrowing from the individual colleges and through a $10.7 million “rainy day fund.” In the best case scenario, the district is planning to reduce its capacity for full-time students by 6.15 percent, which means about
As a result of the cutbacks, two employees got to keep their jobs: an assistant at the Center for Performing Arts and a public safety public outreach coordinator. A vacant position for a community services officer will remain in the budget, while the deputy zoning administrator will remain a full time position. A half-time deputy fire marshal in charge of inspecting apartment buildings will now be funded for full time work to address a backlog of inspections. The agreements were made with employee groups representing 75 percent of the city’s 600 employees: the SEIU, the Eagles — a mid-level managers union — and unrepresented employees, which include department heads, council appointees, classified IT employees and fire and police managers. Police and fire union contracts were not up for negotiation this year and neither group made any concessions, Dile said. Both unions had contract extensions given to them in the last two years which expire in June, 2012. Addressing concerns about a potential conflict of interest, Dile said police Capt. Max Bosel was not involved in contract negotiations with police managers, but was involved in negotiations with fire department managers. Bosel has been filling in for Dile as interim assistant city manager and human resources director, a key position in negotiating with the city’s unions. Bosel will go back to being a police captain in a few weeks. V
Email Daniel DeBolt at ddebolt@mv-voice.com
3,935 fewer students — full-time and part-time — would be served in total, said Thor. In the worst-case scenario, the district would have to pare back its full-time student load by more than 7.5 percent, or about 4,834 full- and part-time students. Further complicating matters, the district will not know if the worst case scenario will come to pass until December 15, after many students have already enrolled in classes, which could mean that fees would be raised retroactively at See CUTS, page 6
JULY 8, 2011 ■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■
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