VENTURA : Coffee Cart at College Causes Union Dispute

Weary students and thirsty teachers have a new alternative at Ventura College: a gourmet coffee cart tucked into the corner of the campus cafeteria.

It is a small Formica stand called Grounds for Coffee, with a menu featuring caffeine-laced specialties such as iced cappuccino, cafe au lait and double espressos to go.

“The students love it,” said Jerry Dunlap, who oversees the impromptu coffeehouse. “They’re tickled to death that it’s right here on campus.”

Not so tickled, however, are officials from the Ventura County Community College District’s classified employees union.

They charged in a letter to Vice Chancellor Jeffrey Marsee that the stand is operating illegally by putting college students to work instead of unionized employees.

“Those things need to be staffed by district employees,” said Gregory Cross, field representative of the Service Employee International Union Local 535, which represents about 360 of the district’s non-teaching staff.

“We thought we were all on the same wavelength on these things,” said Cross, who is negotiating a new union contract. “We’re just trying to find out who’s behind this.”

Marsee, who signed the lease with Grounds for Coffee, said his interpretation of the state education code allows the district to contract out for certain services without using its own employees.

“We have a right to hire students,” Marsee said. “We feel it’s important that students be permitted to work. If the union is interfering with that practice, then we have a general concern that goes across the district.”

Other franchise outlets in the district, including Taco Bell and Pizza Hut counters at Moorpark College, also employ students, Marsee said. Cross said those agreements are legal because they are run by unionized staff members.

The dispute does not concern Jennifer Ferraez, an 18-year-old psychology major who earns $4.75 an hour mixing the specialty drinks.

“This helps me pay for books and stuff,” the Ventura College freshman said. “And it’s right here at school, so I don’t have to drive anywhere. That saves on gas.”

The stand has been open since Oct. 20, when Dunlap finished uncoiling the kinks from the system.

“They were standing three deep,” he said of his first customers. “We had three girls here and they just couldn’t keep up. But part of that was because they had to keep checking the recipes.”

Eventually, Dunlap said, poetry readings and live music will be scheduled around the stone fireplace across from the cart.

“This is so much better than kids going to bars,” he said.