Faculty and staff held a rally in support of higher wages at 2 p.m. on May 1 on the northern of edge campus.
This is the second rally this semester regarding the issue.
“Right after the first rally they offered us the 5-3-2, and so, which we were really happy about,” said Citrus College Faculty Association President Justina Vidana-Rivadeneyra. “But we still have some way to go to be able to gain some of that parity with, like say, Mt. SAC.”
The first rally was held in response to the district offering a 2-1-1 raise which was “based on erroneous numbers and we called them on it,” Vidana-Rivadeneyra said.
Along with the CCFA, members of the California School Employees Association were present supporting the proposed raises for the schools classified staff.
“We’re both in negotiations, our staff, classified employees, like your administrative secretaries, your HR technicians, your custodians,” Kai Wattree-Jackson, CSEA chapter 101 president and HR technician said.
The CSEA is also currently in negotiations with the district.
“We represent all staff on campus that aren’t faculty,” said Wattree-Jackson. “Besides adjunct-faculty, adjunct-faculty has their own union. They’re also in the middle of negotiations as well.”
Edward Ortell, a board of trustees senior board member, showed support for the faculty’s efforts, but stressed how large the budget is for the school.
“I think that’s great, I think we all want a fair contract,” Ortell said. “I think there’s a process that enables that to happen, it’s called collective bargaining.”
Collective bargaining is basically negotiations by an organized body, like the CCFA.
“And as we grind through that process and each side puts forward ideas and I think we’ll find a fair solution,” Ortell said.
There were frequent honking of horns by those driving by in response to Communications and Language Arts professor Theresa Villeneuve’s sign that read “Honk if you (heart) teachers”.
