FEATURE
Collective bargaining
The Art of Collective Bargaining
by David Ngô and Tiffany Lew
It comes as no surprise to find CSEA chapters from different school communities sharing parallel passions and aspirations, whether helping students reach their educational goals or supporting fellow classified colleagues.
But while CSEA’s hundreds of chapters have much in common, they can also differ in their approach to bargaining strategy. While securing a fair contract is the ultimate goal for all members, today’s chapters are always looking for different ways to strengthen their union voice and better engage in collective bargaining.
"Our mission is to improve the lives of our members and we're really able to hone in on that and tell members this is why our mission exists at CSEA. It truly connects with everything we do, including negotiating fair contracts,” said Irlanda Lopez of Cerritos Community College District Cerritos Chapter 161, who works as a program facilitator and serves as chapter president.
“It's really important we get a good contract because it ties back to our members, our community and how we are able to serve our students.”
Though there is no one-size-fits-all approach to negotiating contracts, successful negotiating teams rely on a combination of CSEA training, organized leadership, and learned bargaining skills to secure favorable terms.
Hear from some of CSEA’s most effective bargaining units on their success in securing favorable contracts, and what your chapter needs to know before heading back to the bargaining table.
Preparing for Bargaining, Moreland Chapter 198
Moreland Chapter 198 was successful in securing Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLA), protective equipment for workers, and reclassification terms for classified positions in their contract, which was ratified this past June.
“You have to listen to your members. If you aren’t hearing from everyone then you need someone to reach out to all the different classifications to prepare.”
- Delana Romero, Chapter President, Moreland Chapter 198
Chapter President Delana Romero says one of the most important facets of bargaining for her chapter involved taking the time to listen to the concerns and demands of the membership.
“You have to listen to your members. If you aren’t hearing from everyone then you need someone to reach out to all the different classifications to prepare,” said Romero, who works as an administrative assistant. “Having someone take the time to actually ask members face-to-face before heading to bargaining makes a huge difference.”
During the preparation phase, Romero’s chapter facilitated dialogue among the membership and distributed a survey in order to determine their negotiating priorities. By engaging in open transparency and collecting feedback from the chapter, Moreland Chapter 198 has now secured a favorable contract for the next three years.
“We need to be able to go into bargaining and make sure that our members are not being taken advantage of or overlooked when it comes to their wages and benefits,” Romero explained. “Both sides have to win. Neither side is going to end up with everything that they want. So, you have to look at what are the biggest priorities and take the time to speak on issues important to your members.”
Conducting Negotiations, Cerritos Chapter 161
from left to right: Maria Isai, Roxanne Mitchell, Paul Vernola, Michele Kingston, Irlanda Lopez, Erik Duane, Carmen Lizarraga and Lakeisha Wright.
For Cerritos Chapter 161, their negotiating committee prioritized securing on-schedule raises in their contract, which was secured in April of 2022.
“At one point, we wrote about 40 pages of letters sent from faculty and staff saying we deserved on-schedule raises.”
- Irlanda Lopez, Chapter President, Cerritos Chapter 161
Throughout their negotiating process, the chapter used an array of tactics to supplement the negotiating team at the bargaining table, which involved attending district board meetings, writing letters, picketing, and most importantly, building a united front.
“At one point, we wrote about 40 pages of letters sent from faculty and staff saying we deserved on-schedule raises,” said Irlanda Lopez, chapter president of Cerritos Chapter 161, who works as a program facilitator. “We were able to coordinate our efforts towards our district so that it made it much harder for them to reject us.”
While engaging in active negotiations, Lopez says that showing solidarity among their more than 300 chapter members helped her team at the bargaining table. Whether applying pressure or coordinating through a united display of solidarity, her chapter’s strategy proved to be effective.
“Our message was simple. We deserve these parts of the contract and we’re going to fight for it,” Lopez explained. “It was something that we all wanted and at the end of the day, we achieved the results we wanted.”
Ratifying the Contract, Manteca Chapter 50
Manteca Chapter 50 was recently victorious in making the district adhere to contractual language regarding outsourcing paraprofessionals.
“I am always working on new language. As a result, we were able to improve and attain favorable new language in the following articles: Professional Growth, Retirement Benefits, Transfers and Promotion, as well as Reclass.”
- Alisa McKinley, payroll and employee benefits tech, Chapter 50
“[It] resulted in 26 benefitted new paraprofessional positions throughout the district,” said Alisa McKinley, payroll and employee benefits tech.
They also secured COLAs for their entire bargaining unit.
“For the 22/23 school year, we were able to secure just under 10 percent for our Chapter 50 classified members.”
Typically, the Manteca chapter and district have a contract that runs for three years.
“I am always working on new language,” said McKinley. “As a result, we were able to improve and attain favorable new language in the following articles: Professional Growth, Retirement Benefits, Transfers and Promotion, as well as Reclass.”
Meetings are all-important for the negotiating committee when preparing for bargaining. They hold regular chapter meetings in which they are in constant communication with members about the status and progress of negotiations.
“Being transparent, giving updates and gaining input from the members and hearing different perspectives is extremely important and helpful when preparing for negotiations,” said McKinley, adding that being mindful of district budgets and contractual language is also important.
Ultimately, showing up and speaking out is vital – as is a united front.
“Command a presence and remember that you are an equal when you’re at the table,” said McKinley. “It’s crucial that our message to the district during negotiations remains strong and consistent. Don’t be afraid to push back a little bit.”
However, negotiations also involve compromising, which is especially important when overcoming breakdowns.
“Being able to bring our members’ concerns to the district’s attention in a way where we can have productive dialog has really helped to foster a respectful and productive working relationship with my district,” McKinley said, emphasizing that it is important to “be tough on the issues, not on the people. Go boldly ‘all in’ with great intention for your entire chapter.”
