Bargaining Update

According to the agreement, CSU Bakersfield employees who voluntarily take a time base reduction can exit the program if the need for cost savings becomes unnecessary or if not enough savings are generated to save laid-off positions.

Other sections of the pact reinforce employee rights under CSUEU/CSU’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Some articles parallel agreements recently reached at other campuses.

CSUEU continues efforts to mitigate individual cases of layoff. More than half of the affected CSU Bakersfield employees have been completely reinstated or offered some form of mitigation. Negotiations continue on behalf of the remaining represented employees, whose layoff will be effective July 6. Several grievances arose out of specific situations, which remain unresolved at this time.

“Our responsibility is to work for each affected employee,” explained CSU Bakersfield Chapter 310 President Ray Finnell. “We will keep advocating on their behalf.”

CSUEU Vice President for Representation Russell Kilday-Hicks stated, “Different needs at each campus are addressed in bargaining and are reflected in the varying campus agreements. Advance preparation by the chapter helps the team coming in.”

Chief negotiator Lois Kugelmass led the CSUEU negotiating team skillfully. Other team members included Finnell, Kilday-Hicks, CSUEU President Pat Gantt, Bargaining Unit 7 Council Vice Chair John Orr, Bargaining Unit 9 Vice Chair Alisandra Brewer, Labor Relations Representative Frank Pulido, and, from Chapter 310, Chief Steward and Vice President Kathryn Plunkett, Unit 7 Representative and Organizing Chair Tina Giblin, and Unit 9 Representative Teresa Robertson.

Read the signed agreement.