Category: 04 – The Monitor

VCCCD Retirees,

The Spring 2024 Monitor Newsletter is here.  In this edition, you will find an article about this spring’s Annual Membership Meeting to be held on May 8th:

• • Proposed change to the VCCCDRA Bylaws regarding a change to the Association dues, to be presented for your approval at the General Membership Meeting.
  • Notice about nominations for and election of the Vice President position.
  • This meeting will be in person at Guthrie Hall on the Ventura College campus.  The meeting will also be available via ZOOM for those members desiring to attend virtually.  Included is the login information for the Zoom connection.

There is also an excellent article by Marta Freixas about our new insurance through the Self-Insured Schools of California (SISC).  Marie Soo Hoo is providing a recap of the Fall Social/BBQ, where a fun time was had by all.  Other articles include the President’s Message by me, a Membership Report by Joy Kobayashi, and information about the 2024-2026 Membership Directory.

Hope you enjoy reading the Monitor and the Executive Board looks forward to seeing you at the Annual General Membership meeting on May 8th.

Susan Bricker, President
Ventura County Community College District Retirees Association

Please use this link for the Spring 2024 Monitor Newsletter.

The electronic version of the VCCCDRA newsletter, The Fall 2022 Monitor, has been posted on the VCCCDRA website in the Newsletter section (look on the leftside navigation panel on the website.)   It also may be accessed by clicking here. (A hard copy is being mailed this week to retirees who do not have email addresses.)

The electronic version of the VCCCDRA newsletter, The Spring 2022 Monitor, has been posted on the VCCCDRA website in the Newsletter section (look on the leftside navigation panel on the website.)   It also may be accessed by clicking here. (A hard copy is being mailed this week to retirees who do not have email addresses.)

• • an important article by Lyn MacConnaire on the “Status of the VCCCDRA Lawsuit Against the VCCCD”,
  • announcement of the upcoming Zoom VCCCDRA Annual General Meeting on March 17 featuring VCCCDRA attorney Erica Deutsch as Keynote Speaker,
  • an introduction to the first recipient of the VCCCDRA Sponsored Don B. Medley Scholarship
  • our second appeal for contributions to the Legal Fund
  • and an important message from Membership Chair, Joy Kobayashi

by Rene G. Rodriguez, VCCCDRA President

Here is the link to the Summer 2020 Monitor that includes several very important articles that will help bring you up to date on the matter of our healthcare benefits.

First, the article by Harry Culotta is an excellent summary of what transpired at our March 10 Annual General Meeting, including a description of the CalPERS health plans based on the meticulous research of retiree Marta Freixas, which details the serious deficiencies and pitfalls in these health plans that are meant to replace our current Anthem healthcare plans.  It also relates the motions that were passed at the meeting to give the VCCCDRA Exec Board the authority to act on behalf of the Retirees’ Association should it become necessary to take legal action against the VCCCD.  (Note: some retirees have asked about Kaiser.  We have not been able to get a retiree who is on the current Kaiser plan to compare it to the CalPERS Kaiser plan.  We encourage any retiree currently on Kaiser to do this comparison on behalf of all the retirees on the Kaiser plan.  We will help them get the materials they need for the comparison)

Secondly, an article by Gary Johnson brings you up to date on the SEIU and AFT negotations with the District.  He comments on the District’s response to the 80 emails that the Board and the Chancellor received from retirees that voiced their opposition to CalPERS; assesses the claims the District makes regarding the gains it thinks will come from a move to CalPERS; how retirees contribute most of the savings for this move to CalPERS without getting anything in return; outlines the work that the VCCCDRA has performed over the last 10 months to understand it as thoroughly as possible; and makes recommendations to retirees in the meantime.

Thirdly, there is an article from the Benefits Committee that describes in detail how poorly other community colleges and universities have fared under CalPERS, and bodes ill for anyone that comes under its umbrella, including the  active employees, the retirees, as well as the District itself.  (Note: you should be able to increase the size of the text for this third article by looking at your computer screen for clues on how to increase the size of the print.  On my computer, there is a circle with a plus sign (+) inside of it at the top of my screen.  I just keep clicking on it until the print is the size I want.)

Please stay safe and keep informed with the latest information by regularly visiting your BLOG at blog.vcccdra.org.

Please use this link to download the Winter 2020 edition of the Monitor.

NOTE:  All issues of the Monitor newsletter, going back to 2006, are available on our website:  www.vcccdra.org, then select “Newsletter” on the left navigation panel.

Please use this link to download the Fall 2019 edition to The Monitor.

To visit the VCCCDRA website, click here.