Faculty,
This week's Truth on Thursdays covers health care.
Did you know? Palomar College does not pay for health care benefits for the majority of faculty.
Facts:
Palomar College has 301 full-time faculty and 789 part-time faculty.
A part-time faculty member has to teach a 45% load over three semesters to be considered eligible for benefits and even then may possibly still not receive them (See new PFF-District Contract 2019-22 TA’s and MOUs, Article 16.10.5)
Only 39 part-time faculty are currently receiving health care benefits at Palomar College. That’s 5% of all part-time faculty.
Part-time health benefits are capped at a total of $200,000 per academic year. So if the cost for part-time health benefits exceeds that, Palomar College can refuse to pay for it and part-timers can lose their health insurance (see article 16.10 and 16.6 of the new contract TAs).
The cap has been in place for 8 years at this level, despite increasing costs to all medical insurances for all other employees.
PFF repeatedly attempts to renegotiate this cap , but the District will not remove nor increase the cap.
It is worth noting that part-timers who do receive health care benefits receive a low-level Kaiser plan and must contribute 25% of the plan’s cost. It is also for a single person. Palomar College will not pay, nor contribute, towards family plans for part-time faculty (see 16.10.1 and 16.1-.3 of the new contract TAs).
Bottom Line: PFF recognizes that the District is in financial difficulties, but we believe that fully funding (no cap) those that qualify is a priority. The cost is minimal, estimated to be around $50,000 to $75,000 more for the next academic year. But the results - faculty who have access to medical care and do not have to worry about losing it - would be overwhelmingly positive.