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Members present: Kathleen Feinblum, Dan Kaplan, Eric Brenner, John Kirk, Victoria Clinton, Karen Olesen, Jenny Saarloos, Romy Thiele, Joaquin Rivera, Katharine Harer, Annie Nichols, Chip Chandler, Ernie Rodriguez, Yaping, Li

Guests: Tom Sullivan, Lisa Palmer

The meeting was called to order at 2:15 on January 28, 2004 at Canada College

NON-AGENDA ITEMS

Members were encouraged to support Proposition 56, the Budget Accountability Act which Governor Schwarzenegger does not support. There will be "Yes on 56" workshops in San Francisco and in San Jose.

We have improved the part-timer-to-full-timer instructor ratio because less part-timers were being hired due to last year's funding cuts. However, many of the states' community colleges are hiring full-timers. The reason may be that enrollment is up.

AGENDA

Minutes for the last meeting were approved.

Katharine passed out a letter Judy Michaels sent to all legislators stating our formal position on Prop 98. Tuition fees have increased 64%.

All colleges will be doing a "missing student project." We need to start organizing to develop the art project in the District. Art students at Skyline have already expressed interest in participating. The "missing student project" won't be in Sacramento for the rally because there is another art project already slated for exhibition. But we will try to get the art project in Sacramento sometime if possible. The Student Government will be paying for the buses to the rally. Advisors for the rally are the same as last year.

There was a discussion on Gov. Schwarzenegger's proposal to send UC students to community colleges for their GE courses. Community Colleges do not have money to handle the large flow of new students. Also, is it fair that their tuition be paid for by the State?

T. Sullivan: Are basic aid districts going to suffer more with fee increases and budget cuts? Kaplan answers that it would be true for PFE funds. There will be a rider on bill to attempt to deal with the financial cuts but nothing has moved forward.

Grocery workers are on strike in Southern California because health benefits are being cut. Katherine urged us to help out strikers in any way. The outcome will set a precedent. AFL-CIO considers it to be the most important strike in country today.

Joaquin - CFT convention is March 19-21 in L.A. Dan has info.

Joaquin - one of the San Mateo seats in the state assembly will be open in 2006. A candidate interested in running for the seat asked for an early endorsement from AFT. It was agreed that the candidate will be invited to an E.C. meeting for an interview.

Dan Kaplan is coordinating the Global Issues Workshop.

The major portion of the meeting was on the discussion of the contract revision which Joaquin and Katharine are preparing for negotiations. The notes concern the discussion of changes. All EC members were given a copy of the proposed article changes.

Article 8 - Pay and Allowance

Pay allowances of a 8% raise were arrived at by looking at the CCI. Right now we rank 6th in Bay Area. The rank above us would require a 9% raise. Ron Galatolo gets a 5% raise no matter the outcome of negotiations.

The Executive committee discussed the need to add language to the contract on class size. Our class size language proposal is based the language of the State Center contract.

Joaquin suggests that any revision to the proposed contract be sent to him in writing.

Lisa Palmer, English instructor from Canada, stated that Canada just raised the English composition class size limit to 35 at census date.

Class size limits apply to some departments more than others.

Composition is the only class which has class limits in the contract. Do we put actual class size numbers of English classes in the contract.

The opinion was made that class size is a legal issue and that the actual numbers would be more specified in the contract.

Article 9 - Health Care

9.1.1 - Joaquin justifies that the increased numbers are based on a 20% increase in health rates for the family plan. Katharine: Can we work with someone else on PERS? Right now, $567 is the district cap for part-timers.

9.12 - Kaplan: the cost of health care has gone up. There have been meetings to create the joint powers arrangement. Management in this district has been participating. We may get info at the negotiating table.

Schwarzenegger is proposing that the Part-timer promised salary increase of 25% be put into a base fund.

Kaplan: How many part--timers are participating in the reimbursement program? Is the 50% mentioned in 9.12 enough? Didn't the participation rate go up? We have to think about the discrepancy that some part-timers have better insurance plans than others.

Interruption in contract discussion: Ernie Rodriguez stepped in with a report about AFT meetings with Board members regarding the Canada administration. AFT continues to be concerned about administrative accountability at Canada. What's the next step?

Katharine: Board obviously wants to keep it status quo but we need to be vigilant. Kaplan: Rosa's reputation at Chabot College is really bad also. A part-timer is suing Canada for discrimination.

Back to the contract.

Article 11 - maternity leave and sabbatical language will be modified.

Appendix F FLC Allocation - Respiratory therapy will be added to the list of departments with changes in FLC allocation.

Lab/lecture disparity - there is an obvious inequity between the FLC's in the labs and in lecture classes. Every district wants to negotiate this item. What about the other labs? PE? Art? Computer science?

Side Letter 1 - Retirement incentive needs to be made clearer whether we are using 2 or 2+2. Must be either/or, or the cost will be prohibitive.

Article 19 Re-employment Rights - Presented was a supplement to the existing language.

Article 23 - Intellectual property - would this support include a Sabbatical in the calculation of compensation for intellectual property?

Seniority - As of now, part-time seniority is calculated by college rather than district wide. A part-timer proposed seniority be calculated by district. The Executive committee discussed this item and considered several options.

There has been a proposed change in the language for professional development affecting travel allowances. Skyline has some carry over money. CSM used most of its money without paying for travel. Allowing travel reimbursement would clean out professional development funds including sabbaticals. Katharine: travel money is good in that it deals with the problem of teacher demoralization. Let's not open this can of worms because money is too stretched. Final decision - not enough money.

Grievance report was given by John Kirk -An important case will be decided in a week or so. We revised the part-time seniority program discontinuance policy. A grievance was filed for a part-time teacher who received a bad evaluation but whose rights were violated when administrative procedural error occurred. Also on the grievance report was the unfair labor practice charge leveled at Canada for unilateral increase in class size.

A Forum for general discussion about the changes in contract were discussed and scheduled. The forums will be held the following dates: CSM - Tues, 2/10 at 1:45; Canada - Weds. 2/11 at 1:00; Skyline - Tues 2/10 at 12:00

Meeting was adjourned at 4:35.

Respectfully submitted,
Kathleen Feinblum.

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