Countywide : College Board to Vote on Contract

The Ventura County Community College District board will vote next week on a contract that was ratified this week by secretaries, maintenance workers and other employees.

The proposed three-year contract, ratified by a 4-to-1 margin of the Service Employees International Union Local 535 membership, covers more than 400 district employees who have been working without a contract since July 1, union field representative Gregory Cross said.

About half of the classified employees, who work at Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura community colleges, are voting union members, Cross said.

Under the proposed contract, employees would receive a 3% pay raise retroactive to July 1 and another 3% increase in January, union and district officials said.

The district will continue to pay all health insurance premiums--which had been a major issue with the employee group--until at least July, 1991, said Jerry Pauley, associate vice chancellor and the district’s chief negotiator.

Then if health insurance premiums increase by less than 20%, employees will get a 4% raise.

However, if increases exceed 20%, the difference will be taken from the 4% raise.