I am writing with regard to your article entitled “District considers pay cuts” that appeared in the April 6, 2010 edition of City Times in order to correct certain inaccuracies that might mislead your readers.

The San Diego Community College District is not considering pay cuts for any employee group and is not currently in negotiation with them. Rather, the district has invited employee groups to partner with the district to identify budget savings that might close a $3.9 million shortfall in the current year’s operating budget.

Under the district’s “fair share”
proposal, employee groups would agree to generate temporary savings proportional to their employee unit’s portion of all district personnel costs.

Each unit would be free to specify how these savings would be achieved, which might include temporarily foregoing sabbaticals, annual step increases, medical benefit co-pays, furlough days, and/or a modest salary reduction. Any reductions implemented would receive the highest priority for restoration once the state’s fiscal climate improves.

The district is not mandating these reductions, as employee groups would choose voluntarily to participate. And, further, employee groups would not “equally contribute”, but rather “proportionately contribute”.

A better and more accurate headline for your story might be “District invites employees to partner in temporary budget reductions.”

Terrence J. Burgess, Ph.D.
President,
San Diego City College