11/12/2019 Communications Update

We need you! We need each other!

Please consider running for office. Officer Elections opened November 1st.  The Nomination period will conclude this week, November 15 at 4:30pm. Elections Chair Don Patton can provide you with a nomination form or simply download it from lccef.org. A candidate forum will be held on November 20th at noon in LCC04 106.  Candidates are invited to write a 250 word bio that will be posted on the lccef.org website. The Election will conclude December 5th at noon.  If you have specific questions about the election process contact the Elections Chair Don Patton pattond@lanecc.edu. If you have questions about a specific officer position or the Executive Council in general, contact any of the current officers. 

Wear Red for LCCEA and LCCEF!! 

That’s right!  Our brothers and sisters in LCCEA, the LaneCC Faculty Union, are still bargaining for for a full contract agreement which includes economics. This also includes House Bill 2016 and Senate Bill 1049 that we are still bargaining. In short, we are in this TOGETHER! Please show your support by wearing red on LCCEA bargaining days as well as LCCEF Bargaining TUESDAYS!!! Additionally LCCEA are organizing a big turnout at the Board of Education Meeting on November 20th.  Please join us there and wear your red for that day too!!

LCCEA Wear Red Days

• November 12th (bargaining)
• Wednesday, November 20th (Board meeting)
• Monday, November 25th (bargaining)
• Monday, December 2nd (bargaining)

Show our solidarity to management!

Want to help, but feeling a bit lazy?  Send a letter to the Board of Ed with just a couple clicks!  Just click here!

Bargaining

Don’t take down those “Fair Contract Now” signs yet! 

The Bargaining Team have been meeting with the college on most Tuesdays since Oct 1st.  We have secured 2 agreements of the remaining 5 items left to bargain from our August 2019 MOA. We also secured an agreement going forward for our contract 260 day work year.   See the following list of completed and outstanding terms in the approved MOA listed as #13 in the Memorandum:  

• The college picked up the increase for a one month extension of insurance with Pacific Source as OEBB would not allow us to join them on October 1, 2019 due to late notice in confirmation.
  • Article VII – Dues and Fair Share Deductions.
    • Agreement reached 
  • Senate Bill 1049
• See “Pers Lawsuit Filed” for an update about the actions being taken by Unions and public employees to fight this bill.
• House Bill 2016
  • We are negotiating Officer release time.  We believe that all officers should have release time.  Our current contract language only allows release time for the President, VP and Grievance Officer.  
• Monetary compensation for Classification and Compensation Study
  • The Consultant LGPI hired by the college to do this work has sold their company to a new company.  The staff of this company feels confident they can complete the work by the end of the year. However, our MOA states the monetary piece of the Class and Comp Study should be completed by Dec. 31st, 2019.  Though we are working collaboratively with the college we have stated that our informal extensions have been more than generous and should this not be completed by Dec. 31st, 2019 we will file a grievance on breach of contract.  

Additional agreement:

• Contract 260 day work year agreement

See our calendar to find out when and where Bargaining will be held. 

SECTION 125 (FLEXIBLE SPENDING) OPEN ENROLLMENT

Open enrollment for 2020 began on November 5, 2019 and continues through December 4, 2019.  Participation is optional and available to benefits-eligible classified, management, faculty and part-time faculty employees. 

Employees who wish to contribute pre-tax dollars to a Health Care Expense Account (for costs related to healthcare costs) and/or a Dependent Care Expense Account (for daycare related costs) should complete the online enrollment process. If you are enrolled for calendar year 2019, enrollment for calendar year 2020 is not automatic. 

Information about the benefits and how to enroll online is found via: https://www.lanecc.edu/hr/benefits/section-125

*What is the annual minimum and maximum contribution amounts:

• Healthcare Flexible Spending – $240 minimum and $2750 maximum
• Dependent Care Account (daycare expenses) – no minimum and $5000 maximum for single or married filing jointly; $2500 maximum for married filing separately

*2020 College Contribution toward Section 125: 

• Contribution levels are based on health insurance enrollment tiers as follows:
• Classified – Employee Only: $670; Employee + One: $1,340; Full Family: $1,715
• Management – Employee Only: $450; Employee + One: $700; Full Family: $900
• Faculty/Part-time Faculty – Employee Only $450; Employee + Spouse/Children: $700; Full Family: $900

Federally Taxable Benefits 

There was a surprise to all of us regarding the increase in our Life Insurance Benefit.  As you all know, when we switched to OEBB the college paid benefits of Life Insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment both changed from $50,000 each to $100,000 each.  This is of course a positive. What we did not know is Life Insurance policies that exceed $50,000 have a tax on the premium payment of the benefit over $50,000. You may have noticed a new line at the very bottom of your pay stub that reads “Federally Taxable Benefits”. That line shows you the dollar amount you are paying taxes on for life insurance that exceeds $50,000. It is not the amount of tax you pay.  Please continue to read. See the chart below to determine the calculation.

The IRS premium tables are published in federal regulations, and can also be found in the IRS Employer’s Guide to Fringe Benefits.

Cost Per $1,000 of Protection for 1 Month

Example calculation

John’s life insurance policy covers $100,000, he is 45 years old, and the premium is fully paid by the College. John does not need to pay federal taxes on the first $50,000 worth of coverage, but he will pay federal tax on the excess $50,000 of coverage. The total cost to include in John’s federal taxable wages per month will be $7.50 per month (0.15 x 50).  John does not pay $7.50 more per month into taxes. He pays taxes on the $7.50 per month. For instance if John’s tax bracket is 20% he will pay 

$7.50 x 20% = $1.50 per month in taxes for the additional $50,000 of Life Insurance benefit.

You will only see this tax amount one time per month.  It will show on the 25th paycheck each month.

Once this was brought to our attention by the college we explored options such as the employees ability to opt out of the $100,000 of Life Insurance and return to $50,000.  The answer from OEBB is that this can only happen if the entire group opt out of the $100,000 and decrease it to $50,000. As this is clearly a benefit and the additional tax is very small we didn’t see this as a valid option.  We considered bargaining for an increase in wage to cover the cost but that would also be problematic as the amount varies by employee (less than a dollar a month for many). Also an increase in wage would also be an increase in taxes, so we go round and round.  

Examples:

Depending on employee tax bracket calculated below at 15-30%

Those employees age 35-39 could pay monthly tax from $0.68-1.35

Those employees age 55-59 could pay monthly tax from $3.23-6.45

Those employees age 65-70 could pay monthly tax from $9.52-19.00 

Those employees over 70 could pay monthly tax from $15.45-30.90

Our investigation revealed our unit is made up of .04% of employees over the age of 65. Because we must do our best to support the interests of the majority of our members we believe it would be a poor decision to reduce the life insurance benefit back to $50,000.  For the vast majority of our employees the increased tax is far less cost than an additional $50,000 of life insurance benefit. We hope you will agree, and we apologize to those who don’t agree and would prefer to not pay the additional tax on the premium payment of the increased $50,000 of life insurance. 

Benefits Fair Raffle

It was nice to see so many of our Members at the Benefits Fair Last week.  Thanks for dropping by the LCCEF table! We even managed to get a couple pictures taken of some of your smiling faces.  We have drawn the names for our raffle and the winners are: 

Union Benefits – Discounts on almost everything

Student Debt Clinic, Friday November 15

OSEA is hosting a Student Debt Clinic coming up next Friday in Eugene.

Friday, November 15
5:30 pm to7:00 pm 
North Eugene High School, Library
200 Silver Lane, Eugene OR 97404
Download Flyer Here

Registration is required: Register at https://aft.knack.com/member-mobilization-tracker/#register-for-debt-clinic/.  

Member Organizing Institute

Want to learn how you can be trained to help make our union stronger?
We are pleased to announce that our local will be participating in AFT-Oregon’s Member Organizer Institute, a training and development opportunity for emerging leaders and activists who are ready to take their union organizing skills to the next level and build our local for the future.  More info here →

Membership Drive November 18-22

LCCEF will hold another membership drive next week, November 18-22.  Be watching for Officers and Members coming into your area to chat with you about current issues and concerns. This is a particularly great time for non members to ask questions and gain information about how the Union benefits you and how it can benefit you much more as a full member.  Anyone interested in helping with the drive? 

Go here to sign up for a shift: https://forms.gle/NewvjubRLbfD3LA26 

Or contact Rosa Maria Banuelos-Uribe, Membership Officer.  Or reach out to any of the current Union Officers for any questions.

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 – continued negotiations 
• Research into e-Voting for union business
• The Constitution and ByLaws rewrite
• LCCEF Contract Committee (educate members and managers)
• Member Organizer Institute 
• Worksite Leaders

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