AVC trustees OK contract for study

Employees allege change in bargaining agreement

LANCASTER — Antelope Valley Community College District trustees on Monday unanimously approved a consulting contract for a classification and compensation study criticized by the Antelope Valley College Federation of Classified Employees as a unilateral change and departure from the federation’s collective bargaining agreement.

The consulting agreement with MGT of America Consulting LLC is for an amount not to exceed $60,885.

“I’m a realist and to put it bluntly, though the district would like to paint the rosy picture that reclassifications mean upward mobility and salary increases by lining up positions into families, you Board members, having held administrative positions, are fully aware in times of fiscal uncertainty, classifications can also lead to position eliminations, demotions and salary reductions,” AVCFCE President Pamela Ford said during the meeting.

Ford cited several reasons the federation did not support the reclassification study.

“It is within the collective bargaining agreement; therefore, it’s a unilateral departure from the collective bargaining agreement, for the district to move forward with this,” Ford said.

Ford added the federation submitted a cease and desist statement to the district and demanded to bargain the reclassification.

“The district has not responded to the federation with dates to bargain, and has moved forward with this unilateral change,” Ford said.

Professor Aurora Burd, president of the Antelope Valley College Federation of Teachers, urged the Board to reject the proposed reclassification study because it appeared to create a unilateral change to the classified union’s collective bargaining agreement.

“As president of the Antelope Valley College Federation

of Teachers, I believe it is important to stand in support of adherence to the collective bargaining agreement negotiated between the Antelope Valley College Federation of Classified Employees and the district.” Burd said.

Education advisor Brenna Humann urged the Board not to approve the reclassification study, and new positions for employees under a controversial reorganization.

“The ongoing reorganization of employees, and the appearance on tonight’s agenda of a new consulting contract for a reclassification contract and compensation study, represents a complete and unilateral change from the collective bargaining agreements at AVC,” Humann said. “There are no other terms to describe these actions than an outright attack on equity for employees.”

AV College has 250 classified employees with 130 job classifications.

AV College President Ed Knudson said the classification and compensation study is a fact-finding exercise to collect information from sister institutions in the region for research only.

“We understand that there is a negotiation that occurs and that it would be upheld within the CBA,” Knudson said.

Knudson added there is no attempt to bargain or go around anything.

“If there is something that needs to be negotiated, we fully understand that it will be negotiated,” Knudson said.