SSCC board approves 14 percent faculty contract increase; insurance concessions bring actual increase to 11 percent
Lead Summary
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
The Southern State Community College Board of Trustees voted 8-0 to approve a three-year contract between the college and the faculty's Southern State Education Association. With step increases, the contract is an increase of just over 14 percent. However, due to "unprecedented concession" made by the faculty regarding insurance benefits, the increase is actually around 11 percent.
It was announced in July that a tentative agreement had been reached between SSCC and the SSEA, and was pending ratification.
During the board of trustees meeting held Wednesday at the Central Campus in Hillsboro, four new board members were sworn in by Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss. Leilani Popp, Michelle Cimis, Donald Moore and Judy Craig were appointed in recent months by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland to serve on the board.
Board president Kay Ayres said, "Welcome to the family," and noted that it was good to have a full board of nine members again.
After the new members were sworn in, the board voted to go into executive session for the purpose of "reviewing negotiations and discussion the compensation, hiring and dismissal of public employees." The board remained in executive session for just under two hours.
Upon voting to return to regular session, and the consideration of other agenda items, board president Kay Ayres asked if there was discussion on the contract. There was no discussion, and board member Paul Hall made a motion the board approve the contract as presented, and it was seconded by Popp. Board member Vicki Wilson was not in attendance.
Following the meeting, SSCC President Dr. Kevin Boys told The Highland County Press that the contract was the best thing for the institution at this time.
For each year there is a 3-percent increase to base salary, and a step increase of 1.75 percent for 2011, 1.70 percent for 2012 and 1.65 percent for 2013, for totals of 4.75 percent, 4.70 percent and 4.65 percent, for 2011-2013, respectively, for a total of 14.09 percent.
"Along with that is an unprecedented change to health care plans, particularly in premiums to the faculty," Boys said.
Historical data in the contract showed that step increases were between 2.16 percent and 2.40 percent for 1999 through 2006. The step increases were 1.90 percent for 2007-2010. From 1995 to 2010, the contract data showed no concessions in insurance.
There are two options for insurance, according to the contract. Option A - the "traditional" PPO Plan Premium - breaks down coverage for families and singles:
• 2010-2011 - The college will pay 84 percent, employee will pay 18 percent.
• 2011-2012 - The college will pay 80 percent, the employee will pay 20 percent.
• 2012-2013 - The college will pay 80 percent, the employee will pay 20 percent.
Boys said that for 2009-2010, the college was paying 86 percent for families and 94 percent for singles.
Under Option B - a health savings account - the college will pay 83 percent and the employee will pay 17 percent for families. For singles, the college will pay 93 percent and the employee will pay 7 percent. Each year of the contract the college will contribute $5,000 to a health savings account for families and $2,500 for singles.
Boys said Option B allows the employees to be "more like consumers" when it comes to health care, which will result in savings for both parties.
"The bigger story is, through negotiations we were trying to achieve the mission of the college," Boys said. "The faculty has issues that they are concerned about, such as their working environment and working conditions."
Salary and health care benefits, according to Boys, are what the majority of the public are concerned with when it comes to contract negotiations on entities funded through tax dollars. However, there were several areas, he said, there were "a couple of issues where we made major progress" in areas of online course offering, compensation for developing courses, who owns what is developed, and the platform for online courses.
Boys said that as a result of collaborating with the faculty, they were able to also develop an effective faculty evaluation system, which is in compliance with the "best practices" of the Ohio Board of Regents.
"The fact that we settled a contract prior to the school year, that's always a good thing," Boys said. "When that doesn't happen there is a lot of distraction. It keeps everyone from properly doing their jobs, which is leading the institution, teaching our students, and that is really what Southern State is all about."
Boys said that of Southern State's total budget, 70 percent is compensation and benefits, and over the last several years that figure "has not varied even a percent."
"Both sides came in and listened to each other. It was a struggle at times, but I don't know any negotiations where there aren't struggles, and we were able to get this done ahead of the school year," Boys said.
Fall quarter at Southern State begins Sept. 20.
In May, the board voted to implement a 7-percent tuition increase.
Ayres told The Highland County Press that ratifying the contract was good for both the college and the faculty.
"I think the contract is win/win for both sides. It serves the needs of both the college and the students, and the faculty," she said. "I think the faculty really showed their colors last year when 35 percent more students showed up. They stepped up, they filled in the gaps, they taught more classes, and they did what Southern State is supposed to do. They are good people and we wanted to keep them."
Hall said that, "This is a good contract. It keeps us fiscally solvent. Not knowing what the future holds (with state funding and) the budget, I think it was fair to everyone. With union contracts, if everyone leaves really, really happy, something is wrong."
Like Ayres, Hall said he is appreciative of the job the faculty did when the college saw such a large increase in enrollment last fall.
"People may see this and say, 'I didn't get a pay increase like that,' people in the private sector. But people in the private sector didn't have an employer that increased what they had to do by 35 percent, and kept the same staff."
The Southern State Community College Board of Trustees voted 8-0 to approve a three-year contract between the college and the faculty's Southern State Education Association. With step increases, the contract is an increase of just over 14 percent. However, due to an "unprecedented concession" made by the faculty regarding insurance benefits, the increase is actually around 11 percent.
It was announced in July that a tentative agreement had been reached between SSCC and the SSEA, and was pending ratification.
During the board of trustees meeting held Wednesday at the Central Campus in Hillsboro, four new board members were sworn in by Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss. Leilani Popp, Michelle Cimis, Donald Moore and Judy Craig were appointed in recent months by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland to serve on the board.
Board president Kay Ayres said, "Welcome to the family," and noted that it was good to have a full board of nine members again.
After the new members were sworn in, the board voted to go into executive session for the purpose of "reviewing negotiations and discussion the compensation, hiring and dismissal of public employees." The board remained in executive session for just under two hours.
Upon voting to return to regular session, and the consideration of other agenda items, board president Kay Ayres asked if there was discussion on the contract. There was no discussion, and board member Paul Hall made a motion the board approve the contract as presented, and it was seconded by Popp. Board member Vicki Wilson was not in attendance.
Following the meeting, SSCC President Dr. Kevin Boys told The Highland County Press that the contract was the best thing for the institution at this time.
For each year there is a 3-percent increase to base salary, and a step increase of 1.75 percent for 2011, 1.70 percent for 2012 and 1.65 percent for 2013, for totals of 4.75 percent, 4.70 percent and 4.65 percent, for 2011-2013, respectively, for a total of 14.09 percent.
"Along with that is an unprecedented change to health care plans, particularly in premiums to the faculty," Boys said.
Historical data in the contract showed that step increases were between 2.16 percent and 2.40 percent for 1999 through 2006. The step increases were 1.90 percent for 2007-2010. From 1995 to 2010, the contract data showed no concessions in insurance.
There are two options for insurance, according to the contract. Option A - the "traditional" PPO Plan Premium - breaks down coverage for families and singles:
• 2010-2011 - The college will pay 84 percent, employee will pay 16 percent.
• 2011-2012 - The college will pay 80 percent, the employee will pay 20 percent.
• 2012-2013 - The college will pay 80 percent, the employee will pay 20 percent.
Boys said that for 2009-2010, the college was paying 86 percent for families and 94 percent for singles.
Under Option B - a health savings account - the college will pay 83 percent and the employee will pay 17 percent for families. For singles, the college will pay 93 percent and the employee will pay 7 percent. Each year of the contract the college will contribute $5,000 to a health savings account for families and $2,500 for singles.
Boys said Option B allows the employees to be "more like consumers" when it comes to health care, which will result in savings for both parties.
"The bigger story is, through negotiations we were trying to achieve the mission of the college," Boys said. "The faculty has issues that they are concerned about, such as their working environment and working conditions."
Salary and health care benefits, according to Boys, are what the majority of the public are concerned with when it comes to contract negotiations on entities funded through tax dollars. However, there were several areas, he said, there were "a couple of issues where we made major progress" in areas of online course offering, compensation for developing courses, who owns what is developed, and the platform for online courses.
Boys said that as a result of collaborating with the faculty, they were able to also develop an effective faculty evaluation system, which is in compliance with the "best practices" of the Ohio Board of Regents.
"The fact that we settled a contract prior to the school year, that's always a good thing," Boys said. "When that doesn't happen, there is a lot of distraction. It keeps everyone from properly doing their jobs, which is leading the institution, teaching our students, and that is really what Southern State is all about."
Boys said that of Southern State's total budget, 70 percent is compensation and benefits, and over the last several years that figure "has not varied even a percent."
"Both sides came in and listened to each other. It was a struggle at times, but I don't know any negotiations where there aren't struggles, and we were able to get this done ahead of the school year," Boys said.
Fall quarter at Southern State begins Sept. 20.
In May, the board voted to implement a 7-percent tuition increase.
Ayres told The Highland County Press that ratifying the contract was good for both the college and the faculty.
"I think the contract is win/win for both sides. It serves the needs of both the college and the students, and the faculty," she said. "I think the faculty really showed their colors last year when 35 percent more students showed up. They stepped up, they filled in the gaps, they taught more classes, and they did what Southern State is supposed to do. They are good people and we wanted to keep them."
Hall said that, "This is a good contract. It keeps us fiscally solvent. Not knowing what the future holds (with state funding and) the budget, I think it was fair to everyone. With union contracts, if everyone leaves really, really happy, something is wrong."
Like Ayres, Hall said he is appreciative of the job the faculty did when the college saw such a large increase in enrollment last fall.
"People may see this and say, 'I didn't get a pay increase like that,' people in the private sector. But people in the private sector didn't have an employer that increased what they had to do by 35 percent, and kept the same staff."
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