There was a heated debate involving ASCC President Pro Tem Karla Marquez, Party Whip Lexie Guerrero and Sergeant of Arms Oskar Ruiz regarding the Senate’s decision to support the Cerritos College Faculty Federation’s resolution for its union contract at Wednesday’s meeting.

The debate overshadowed the unanimous decision the Senate made to pass the bill AB 982, requiring all students to pay for their health service fee, beginning in the fall semester.

Both the CCFF and the Board of Trustees have been negotiating over the full and part-time faculty contracts that also included the continued system of not removing the peer evaluations.

Marquez introduced a resolution that stated that:

? The ASCC Senate supports the CCFF position of maintaining a binding arbitration, meaning that both the CCFF and the Board of Trustees will bargain over the contract dispute in which it will service the best interest of the students of Cerritos College.

? That the ASCC Senate supports the CCFF position on consideration of re-hiring of faculty.

“I cannot support this resolution,” Ruiz said, “because from (reading) this there is only self-interest from both parties.”

Ruiz added that the Senate should perhaps come up with “its own resolution to the negotiations.”

Guerrero said, “(It) looks to me that the Senate is taking sides with the CCFF instead of the district,” she continued, “and to be honest I don’t agree with the resolution.”

Marquez asked what was wrong with the support of rehiring of part-time faculty and she added that the resolution does not support one side or the other.

“Part-time teachers are not being paid more if they go to one college,” she said adding, “that’s why faculty are looking for job security (with this resolution).”

Marquez did however admit that she has spent more time with members of the CCFF not with the Board and that is why she wanted to introduce the resolution to the Senate.

Senator Ivan Pulido suggested to the Senate that there be revisions to the resolution and the revisions will be brought up at the next meeting.

The Senate then turned its attention to the vote of approving the bill that will have even BOGG-waiver students paying for the health service fee.

The bill passed unanimously.

After the bill passed Dr. Charles Gale, director of student health services, said, “The vote speaks for itself,” he continued, “and the ASCC understands why the department needed to do this.”

Students however were not sure that it was necessary to have the health fees.

Both Mario Casrrasco, psychology major, and Valerie Oliva, psychology major, agree that there should be a way for students to opt out of having to pay for the health fee.

“(Students) should be able to have a choice,” Casrrasco said.

“The only reason why I say that students should be able to opt out is because most people have health insurance,” Oliva said.

Evelyn Breceda, sociology major, said that she didn’t care too much about having to pay for the health fee.