Non-Teachers Affected : Staff Furloughs Ordered to Cut Colleges’ Costs

Faced with another likely budget deficit by next summer, the Los Angeles community college board voted Wednesday to furlough its administrators and non-teaching employees for a total of two weeks in the spring.

The two-week layoff, which translates to a 3.8% pay cut for the employees, will save the financially troubled district an estimated $1.4 million.

District officials say they also intend to press the faculty to give up a week’s paid vacation in March, but that move is subject to collective bargaining.

“It’s more bad news for us, which is about all we’ve had lately,” said Norman Schneider, spokesman for the nine-college district.

Since 1982, enrollments in the two-year colleges have been shrinking and so have the district’s revenues.

Last June, district officials revealed that they were about to end the year with a $5-million deficit, a report that embarrassed board members and set off a scramble for an emergency loan from the state. In the end, Gov. George Deukmejian vetoed the loan and the district was forced to balance its own budget by cutting the staff and raising fees.

Those moves, which reduced the budget by more than $8 million, were supposed to ensure the district a balanced budget through this year. But two weeks ago, Tom Fallo, district budget director, reported that revenues were below what was expected and another end-of-the-year deficit was possible.

“We are committed to taking strong action to ensure that we will not have any repetition of the financial strains experienced last year,” said Monroe Richman, president of the board of trustees.

The board, meeting at Harbor College in Wilmington, voted to maintain student parking fees at $15 per semester. Employees, who have had free parking, will be charged $40 a year.

Instructors in the two-year colleges average $38,690 a year for a 40-week contract. Included are vacations at Christmas and in the spring. On Wednesday, the board said it wants to take back the pay for the spring vacation, a move that would translate into a 2.5% salary reduction for instructors.

Hal Fox, president of the faculty union, said his members agreed to no salary raise this year, but would not accept a pay cut.

“This is a contractual matter that would have to be negotiated,” he said, “and it is not our intention to negotiate it.”

The district’s troubles of late have sent morale plummeting on most campuses and set off a war of words between administrators and the faculty.

Faculty activists have complained that the district is burdened with an expensive, top-heavy administration and have called for the resignation of district Chancellor Leslie Koltai.