COSTA MESA : Coastline Professors Push for Bigger Raises

Professors and the directors of the Coastline Community College District continue negotiations this week over a pay raise for faculty members.

The college district has indicated that it will offer 2% increases, but professors are asking for 5%, saying that the college has extra cash in its treasury and could use that for bigger raises.

Several professors and administrators were offered retirement packages last year, said Paul Jordan, spokesman for the teachers union, which means the college is wealthier this year. It has also benefited financially because it has been allocated more money by the state this year than in years past, Jordan said.

According to Jordan’s calculations, the district has an annual budget of $120 million this year, a $7.8-million increase from fiscal 1994-95.

Jordan said that faculty members have had only minimal pay raises in the past three years--a 2% increase last year, nothing for 1993-94 and 1.5% for 1992-93.

That has not kept up with the increase in the cost of living, Jordan said.

Gene Ferrell, vice chancellor of the district, said it would be impossible for the district to meet professors’ demands. All of the additional money in the budget, he said, already has been allocated for other purposes.

If the deadlock persists this week, Jordan said, the professors may request a state mediator to resolve the differences.