Home

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome back! This is the second edition of the AFT e-mail Newsletter -- we sent the first one out to you last May. In case you want to take a look at the May issue, it can be accessed on our web page (http://aft1493.org/enews-5-20-04.html). We plan to make the "E-News" a regular feature, alternating with issues of The Advocate, in order to maintain our communications with you.

In this edition, you will find information on the following:

• * An update on contract negotiations' issues
• * The state budget
• * AFT election results
• * A brief report on our annual fall retreat
• * A special opportunity to attend a Giants' game
  

Negotiations Update

As we mentioned during opening day, we have been negotiating throughout the summer. During negotiations the District has indicated that their goal is to have more flexibility in assigning faculty to their duties. Some of the proposals they have presented include:

• * eliminate language that faculty may not be assigned more than one evening class. They say this will allow them to "meet class scheduling needs."
• * change the non-instructional faculty year to 175 days in a fiscal year (July 1 to June 30).
• * define the workweek to be 37.5 hours for all faculty.
• * establish the right to involuntarily transfer faculty from one campus to another if there are no full-time faculty at a college within a particular discipline.
• * provide 100% pay for a one semester sabbatical (currently 80%) but to reduce by $50,000 the funds available to pay for the sabbatical program.
• * define large classes as those with greater than 75 students. If a large class has 75-99 students, then the faculty member would receive an extra 3 hours of pay. If there were between 100-124 students in a class, then the faculty member would receive an extra 4 hours of pay per week. If there were between 125-149 students in a class, then the faculty member would receive an extra 5 hours of pay per week. And if the class had 150-174 students, then the faculty member would receive an extra 6 hours of pay per week. They are proposing that these extra hours be paid at the special rate.
• * rewrite Article 19 (Part-Time Employment).
• * maintain that Intellectual Property Rights is also an Academic Senate issue and, therefore, a new Task Force should be created with AFT, Senate and the Administration to work out a policy on this subject.

The District has agreed to allow faculty to take two days of personal necessity leave per year without having to provide any explanation. We have also reached a tentative agreement to language concerning: placement on the P/T Faculty Salary Schedule upon return from a break in service.

The District has not made a proposal on salaries and benefits yet. They were waiting for the State budget and the budget trailer bills to be approved before making a proposal. Their negotiating team will be meeting with the Board on August 25th to get parameters for negotiations on monetary issues and they expect to be able to make a proposal at our meeting on August 30th. We have scheduled weekly meetings until a settlement is reached.

To review AFT 1493's initial contract proposals, see: http://aft1493.org/proposals04-07.html

We will be scheduling campus forums to discuss the status of negotiations in the near future. Stay tuned.

State Budget Settlement

Here are the results of the 2004-05 budget battle for the state community college system:

1. $121.1 million for 3% growth plus $27 million for growth for an additional .65% growth for overcap districts
2. $8.2 million in matriculation
3. $1.1 million for growth in basic skills
4. 2.41% COLA on general apportionment
5. 2.41% COLA on matriculation, EOPS, DSPS and basic skills
6. No increase for PERS cost
7. No increase for part-time faculty compensation
8. No increase for part-time faculty programs
9. No backfill of health fees
10. $80 million in equalization
11. $26.4 million in facility maintenance, instructional equipment, hazardous materials.
12. A decrease of $31.4 million in Partnership for Excellence
13. $.9 million for financial aid administration

Student fees increased from $18 per unit to $26 per unit but no differential fee was approved.

The Governor proposed rolling a variety of categorical programs into the base but this attempt was defeated except in the case of PFE which is now in the base.

The 2004-05 State Community College Budget includes $80 million in equalization, 3.65% in growth, and nothing for the non-credit rate. Instead there was an extra $27 million for facility maintenance, instructional equipment, etc, $6 million of non-credit matriculation, and a veto of $31.4 million in Partnership for Excellence funds (which will result in a decrease of $576,369 for SMCCCD.)

For more information on the state budget, see: http://www.ccleague.org/leginfo/budget.asp

AFT Local 1493 Election Results for the 2004-2006 Term of Office

AFT Local 1493 held its bi-annual election for its new Executive Committee at the end of the Spring semester. In the only contested election for AFT leadership, Katharine Harer and Joaquin Rivera were re-elected to serve as the Local's Co-Presidents for another two year term. They received 83% of the vote, with Dick Claire receiving 17%.

Ernie Rodriguez was also re-elected to serve another term as the Local's Vice President.

Kathleen Feinblum was elected to serve as the Local's Secretary, replacing long-time AFT activist George Goth, who is now on phase-in retirement.

Dave Danielson will be the Local's new Treasurer, replacing Anita Fisher, another long time AFT activist, who has now retired.

Elected to serve at Cañada:

• Romy Thiele, Chapter Chair
• Anne Nicholls and Karen Olesen, EC Co-Reps
• Victoria Clinton, Part-timer Rep

Elected to serve at CSM:

• Teeka James and Yaping Li, Chapter Co-Chairs
• John Searle and Suzanne Russell, EC Co-Reps
• Sandy Raeber, Part-timer Rep

And elected to serve at Skyline:

• Chip Chandler and Rick Hough, Chapter Co-Chairs
• Nina Floro, EC Rep
• Jenny Saarloos, Part-timer Rep

A complete list of AFT 1493 officers is available at: http://aft1493.org/eclist.html

AFT 1493 Leaders Discuss Goals at Fall Retreat

On Tuesday August 17th twenty-two faculty members -- Executive Committee members and invited guests -- attended the AFT annual fall retreat at the Woodside Church. After a hearty lunch and lots of socializing, we spent the first half of the afternoon discussing the District's current contract proposal, analyzing the implications on faculty and students and weighing the different arguments. Remember, that the AFT team has not received any financial proposals from the district yet, so we were engaged in talking about the items that are described above. It was an excellent discussion that will continue during the campus forums that will be held a bit later in the semester. During the second half of the retreat, we looked at the union's accomplishments and set new goals for the coming semester, focusing on: improving communication with our members, increasing participation in union activities, continuing to reach out to part-time faculty members and providing leadership opportunities for union activists.

Photos of the retreat may be viewed at: http://aft1493.org/retreat04photos.html

Union Night At SBC Park: Go Giants!

Friday, September 3rd. Union Members from around the Bay Area will converge on SBC Park for "Union Night", appropriately set for the Friday night of Labor Day Weekend. Come join your colleagues at this social event when the Giants take on the Arizona Diamondbacks. If 25 or more faculty and staff buy a ticket through AFT, then the ticket costs only $14 each and everyone can sit in the same location together -- a $9 savings from regular ticket prices! Please call the AFT office immediately at 574-6491 or write to Kaplan@smccd.net to indicate your interest in buying a ticket from AFT. Friends and family are more than welcome!

Don't forget to regularly visit AFT 1493's website-- aft1493.org --for updated news and information.

AFT 1493  Executive Committee

Top of Page
AFT 1493 Home