Teachers at 3 Colleges Accept Salary Offer
Teachers at Ventura County’s three community colleges have voted to accept a salary offer hammered out by negotiators last month after more than a year of contract talks, union officials said Wednesday.
Barbara Hoffman, president of the local chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, said union members voted overwhelmingly to accept the 1% pay raise scheduled to begin July 1.
“It wasn’t unanimous, but it was a 92% yes vote,” said Hoffman.
Hoffman criticized trustees during much of this academic school year for what she said was the district’s failure to bargain in good faith.
The tentative agreement also contains language that would give the district’s 900 or so teachers another pay increase if more funding becomes available from the state, Hoffman said.
“This is not a settlement that people are ecstatic over,” said Hoffman, a counselor at Ventura College.
“It was ratified in recognition that our negotiating team over 13 months did the best it could.”
The board of trustees must still approve the agreement, probably next month.
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