Kishwaukee College

Faculty Contract Negotiations

December 16, 2014

PRESS RELEASE
Kishwaukee College and Kishwaukee College Education Association (KCEA) negotiation teams
have participated in negotiations for a successor faculty contract since March, 2014. The
negotiation teams reached a final tentative agreement on August 11, 2014 for a new, four-year
faculty contract, but the KCEA membership failed to ratify the contract after delaying the
ratification vote until September 30, 2014.
After the failed ratification vote, the negotiation teams resumed bargaining. The negotiation teams
have held five negotiation sessions since the unsuccessful KCEA ratification vote, including three
sessions at which a federal mediator was present. The negotiation teams have reached
agreement on all issues except salary, health insurance, supplemental retirement benefits, and
sick leave.
At the last mediation session on December 16, 2014, the College submitted a Last Best Offer
package proposal in an effort to finally resolve these remaining negotiations issues. The terms of
the Colleges Last Best Offer include:

Salary Average annual salary increase for faculty of 4.1% for each year of the four-year
contract term. This average percentage salary increase is significantly higher than the
average CPI increase and higher than most recent faculty contract settlements for
community colleges.

Health Insurance The College will pay faculty health insurance at contribution levels of
95% (single), 85% (single +1), and 80% (family). Subsequent annual premium cost
increases are shared on an equal 50/50 basis by the faculty member and the College. The
Colleges percentage contributions toward single +1 and family coverage are substantially
higher than prior contribution amounts under the previous faculty contract.

Supplemental Retirement Plan Faculty with 10+ years of College teaching service
continue to receive College payment of the single health insurance premium under the
College or State CIP health plan for a 10-year period post-retirement if they retire by June
30, 2017. Effective July 1, 2017, faculty will receive College payment of the single CIP
premium for a seven-year or five-year period depending upon the faculty members length
of College service. This post-retirement health insurance benefit is not typically included
in most community college faculty contracts.

In addition, the Colleges Last Best Offer includes two new compensation payments for faculty:

Longevity Faculty members receive an additional $500 upon 20 years of service and
each additional five service years thereafter.

Sick Leave Reimbursement Faculty members receive $40 per day for any unused sick
leave days not used for SURS service credit upon retirement or resignation, up to a
maximum of 180 days.

The College believes that the faculty contract negotiation process has been delayed for several
reasons:

Seven-week delay between the August 11 tentative agreement and the September 30
KCEA ratification vote.

Regressive proposals submitted by the KCEA negotiation team (the proposals were
regressive because a KCEA proposal would have increased the Colleges costs, as
compared to their previous proposal).

The KCEA team declined repeated requests by the College negotiation team to meet more
frequently and to extend the negotiation sessions beyond the two-hour limit under the
negotiation ground rules.

The College is hopeful that the Colleges Last Best Offer will be accepted and ratified by the KCEA
membership. The College has bargained in a sincere effort to reach a final long-term faculty
contract which fairly compensates faculty and is fiscally responsible.
Any press inquiries should be directed to Kishwaukee College President Tom Choice.