San Francisco City College trustees have approved a deal that will spare faculty jobs and threatened courses. But it will come with a cost, as the teachers’ union members will take pay cuts across the board.
"I can’t say that this is a win, but this is a solution," said Board of Trustees member Aliya Chisti.
The one-year solution will save jobs, but staff will be taking 4% to 11% pay cuts. The plan is upsetting to some who spoke during public comment of the trustees meeting.
"I know that there is money out here," said Ajeya Hernandez. "We are the richest city in the richest state in the richest country. There has to be money for this."
But others disagree with that thought.
"There is little appetite for bailing out a city college at the state level," said trustee Bridgitte Davilla. "We’ve been bailed out before a few times. And other trustees look like ‘well, we have to manage our budgets, why can’t you?’"
Of course city college remains free to San Francisco residents, which will present a hurdle as the school looks for funds.
Nonetheless, the trustees agreed that they will need to get creative and lure back more students who left during the pandemic, or the threat of layoffs and closed classes could come back after the one-year agreement with the union has passed.
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