No classified staffers at Bakersfield College will lose their jobs due to layoffs, according to an agreement of understanding signed by district officials Tuesday, said Del Allen, classified union president.
Allen said that the only college in the district that will have classified layoffs is Cerro Coso.
“There will be no layoffs at BC, the district or Porterville,” he said. “Cerro Coso will have five.”
Those five employees who are being laid off are all classified staff members. Two are full-time employees and three are part-time.
“I wish we wouldn’t have layoffs, but five is a better number than 165,” Allen said.
BC classified staffers were in fear of losing their jobs because the district failed to comply with state law that requires every college to spend 50 percent of its budget on teaching faculty.
According to Michele Bresso, the director of marketing and public relations, BC had to move $502,922 of its budget into faculty from other budget areas.
“The money we owe has to move to the other side,” she said. “It was our responsibility to go to Sandra (Serrano) and determine how to help BC. I am very hopeful there will be no layoffs at all.”
Districtwide, 43 employees took a golden handshake retirement earlier this year in an attempt to avoid layoffs.
“The morale is still leery,” Allen said. “But we are all happy we won’t have layoffs here.”
According to Bresso, BC officials will move funds from certain budgets and put that money into the faculty budget.
“Money from areas like travel and things like that will be moved into an area called 6,000,” she said. “Money in the 6,000 category becomes neutral money. It is neither for or against the 50 percent.”
BC will not hire any outside applicants to fill open positions, according to Bresso. Howevever, there are two to three positions that must be filled by outside personnel.
Bresso said that those positions will be offered to the public because “the level of expertise and the technical knowledge cannot be found in-house.”
The positions that will be hired out-of-house are Food Services Manager, EOP&S Program Assistant and Public Information Specialist.
Attempts to interview Dr. Sandra Serrano, BC president, Tom Burke, assistant chancellor of business services and Dr. Walter Packard, district chancellor were not successful Tuesday. None returned phone calls made to clarify the budget reorganization.
Allen said he supports a hiring freeze at the district.