Table of Contents
Board of Ed Meeting July 11, 2019
In our on-going efforts toward securing a fair contract please plan to attend the next Board of Education Meeting on July 11, 2019, 6:30pm. It would be very impactful for you to share your story with the Board during public comment. In fact, this is EXACTLY what the board told President Robin Geyer they wanted. A simple 2-3 minute narrative of who you are, what you do at Lane, and why you deserve a raise. Writing it out, reading it to the Board and them leaving the letter for them to reread later really does appear to have an impact.
If you haven’t already, signing the “I Deserve a Raise!” postcard is highly recommended! Just talk to your favorite officer if you need to get your hands on a postcard.
Let’s fill that boardroom on July 11!!!
Take A Selfie to Show Your Support for a Fair Contract!
The Board of Education is meeting July 11th and we encourage members to come to show your support for a fair contract. However, if you are not able to come we are asking members to show your support by uploading a selfie of you wearing your red union shirt and holding a fair contract sign. All the photos that we receive will be entered in a drawing and winners will get some Lane swag. Send photos to: LCCEF@lanecc.edu.
General membership Meeting – 6/17/2019 @ 12:05pm
I know, this was last week. If you would like to see the recording (sorry for the audio going in and out), it’s available here.
Continued support for Food Services and Titan Bookstore
LCCEF worked with AFT-Or and legal council to send the college a letter pointing out the lack of detail in their cost analysis regarding outsourcing Food Services and Titan Bookstore. Read the letter here: https://lccef.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Tedesco-Info-request-bookstore.pdf
Two Schools of Thought about Bargaining
We have received comments with two distinct schools of thought regarding bargaining if the move to OEBB vote is successful.
- We lose all our bargaining power if we change to OEBB!
- Moving to OEBB takes a big lever away from the college.
Here is the reality.
The college decided in 2015 that they would no longer give any additional money toward insurance. They have stuck to this. LCCEF was able to secure extra money toward FSA (Our Section 125 Flexible Spending Account) to help cover some additional medical costs and the rising cost of deductibles and copays, making it feel like a wash for some. Premiums, co-pays, deductibles and out of pocket maximums went up, but we also received some money from steps and the extra money on our FSA helped pay the additional co-pays and deductibles from the re-designed medical plans.
Lane Classified are now all alone in our insurance pool. Management just announced that they are moving to OEBB and Faculty have been with OEBB for 10 years. This means that Pacific Source has only the Classified staff to look at for experience rating and the Classified Staff have some very high insurance costs. (Pacific Source currently pays 105.7% on medical over what we pay in premium.) No one ends up spending big bucks on medical on purpose. This is just a fact of our situation. What this does mean, though, is that our negotiating power with PacificSource just got cut down. With a smaller number of people insured, it takes fewer individuals with high medical costs to cost all of us higher monthly premiums. Again, no one has huge medical bills on purpose. These are just the facts.
If we move to OEBB we are part of a much larger pool, thousands, in fact. All of K-12 in Oregon and nearly all the Community Colleges in Oregon. That means that a few individuals with high medical costs creates a much smaller ripple in the much larger pool.
There are certainly Classified Staff that have personal medical use that makes the additional money in premium worth it. They use enough insurance that paying double, triple, or even up to 5X the premium out of their paycheck still makes sense for them. For those, they should vote no on the current ballot.
HOWEVER, for many, this large of an increase in premium could be the difference between paying their rent or mortgage on time and having health insurance. It’s a sobering thought that someone with a good job, working in an institution of higher education, could have to choose between their home and health insurance.
It has been stated by more than one person that moving to OEBB actually takes power away from the college. The college has used the insurance deadline against us for many years. Waiting until the last second to give us the news that they are not willing to give us COLA or steps as well as not provide any additional money toward insurance. This puts the whole union in a tailspin and, frankly, scares the hell out of a lot of us. That gives the college exactly what they want. A union of Classified Staff who are fighting with each other over insurance, up against a deadline, and possibly scared enough to accept a pittance to minimize the increase in insurance rather than fighting for what we deserve. By moving to OEBB, the college can no longer use that lever against us and we can bargain for things that make a difference for our staff, like COLA, steps, fair treatment from management, respect from the college…
And finally, while it is true that we will lose the ability to choose the changes that are made to our insurance, because we are in such a large pool the changes that have to happen to our coverage will be far less to keep our premiums below the 3.5% increase threshold mandated by law. In other words, we will have to make fewer and smaller adjustments to our insurance to stay within the state mandated 3.5% maximum increase in premium than what we will have to do to keep insurance premiums affordable for our staff currently with PacificSource or any other insurance provider. 16.5% is a HUGE increase when we are the ones made to pay for the entire increase. What will we have to cut from our current insurance to keep it affordable? Certainly we will see our copays, deductibles and out of pocket maximums increase again.
Bargaining – Economic Reopener
We have not given up the right to Bargain for COLA, Steps, and other economic topics. We will commence bargaining on the rest of the agreement for 2019/2020 & 2020/2021 beginning in July.
Bargaining sessions have been discontinued until July when we will continue bargaining the economics. Check these weekly messages, or the calendar at lccef.org, for future dates.
Classified members are welcome and encouraged to attend the sessions. We recognize the hardship for some employees who are unable to take personal time to join; consider taking a late lunch and eat with us. As a reminder, sessions start at 1 p.m. in Center, Room 303. Even staying for 15 minutes and joining in solidarity will make an impact. Please be sure to coordinate with your manager. Sitting in on bargaining can not be done on paid time, so you will need to use a lunch hour, break or personal/vacation time and be sure that attending does not negatively impact your daily work.
Thank you to those members showing support by wearing red on Fridays, sitting in on Bargaining sessions and displaying posters We really appreciate the support!
Details about bargaining meetings will be posted each Monday and referenced in the weekly communications update (just like this). All posts will be available through the Bargaining Committee page on the website.
Our latest Bargaining Update is after the meeting on June 7, 2019. Please send questions, or support, to the bargaining team. You can also use the forums to discuss bargaining, but please remember to keep it professional.
Insurance Committee
The insurance committee chose the OEBB plans last Tuesday. This is only in the event that the vote on the current TA passes.
2019-20 Insurance Information and Links
This page will be updated as we find more information to educate us on our new insurance and resources. Please check here first if you have questions about coverage, rates or if a specific doctor is available to you.
Please plan to attend Insurance 101 information sessions put on by HR (dates and times on the LCCEF calendar) or stop in at one of the 1on1 sessions Tuesday or Wednesday this week in 2/213 from 11:30am – 12:30pm (also on the LCCEF calendar).
The Joint Insurance Committee is composed of 10 classified members and 7 managers.
*** Note there is no decision to go to OEBB. The membership will vote on insurance.***
Do Your Part for Bargaining
The bargaining team needs your help!
Office Signs
If you have an office with a highly visible window and you would like a “Fair Contract NOW” sign, contact communications@lccef.org and we’ll get you one. If you aren’t up to a big sign, get a smaller version here. It will look great on your office door, or in your cubicle.
Wear red on Fridays
The bargaining team needs administration to see that the Classified union stands together. Looking out the window on the 3rd floor of the Center Building during bargaining and seeing red shirts helps more than you know!
Union Benefits – Discounts on almost everything
Long Term Care Insurance
You create a brighter future. We work to protect it. Do you worry about paying for nursing home or home health care if you need it down the road? Many Americans do. But you can lay that fear to rest – and stay more in control of your health care decisions – with a special long term care insurance plan for AFT+ Members.
More info here: http://educationcenter.ltcr.com/?id=aft
Upcoming and Current Work.
Many hands make light work! We could REALLY use your help! To participate in any of these opportunities, or to find out more, click here.
- Bargaining – Economic Reopener – Currently underway
- Research into e-Voting for union business
- The Constitution and ByLaws rewrite
- LCCEF Contract Committee (educate members and managers)
- Member Organizer Institute
- Officers in Training
- Worksite Leaders
- Grievance Committee
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Useful Links