LBCC faculty plan to picket over pay

A faculty union at Long Beach City College plans to picket the Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday night over what they say are frustrations related to ongoing contract negotiations.

The Long Beach City College - Community College Association, which represents full-time faculty, say they will take part in an “informational picket and formal march,” and will be joined at the meeting by a representative of Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.

According to Long Beach Community College District officials, the current full-time faculty contract expires June 30, 2017. While the union is not working without a contract, parts of the contract are open for negotiation, including salary.

Janét Hund, president of LBCC-CCA, said faculty have met with LBCCD management 14 times since late last year, and is asking for a 4.25 percent salary increase, retroactive to July 1, 2015, as well as a 3 percent across-the-board increase, effective July 1 this year.

The latest offer from the district is an average 1.32 percent raise, depending on degree and length of service. Since 2000, the full-time faculty have received raises that amount to 8.39 percent above the aual cost of living increases from the state, according to LBCCD spokesman John Pope.

Hund said LBCCD’s initial proposal was a 1.02 percent increase.

“That’s almost no movement after 14 months, which is unacceptable,” she said.

Faculty plan to picket at 4 p.m. near the LBCC campus marquee sign at East Carson Street between Faculty and Clark avenues. The board meeting takes place at 5 p.m.