Last Delegate Assembly of the Year, Tuesday 5/16, from 3-5pm on Zoom

All members are encouraged to attend your Delegate Assembly (3-5pm) on Tuesday, May 16. Come to DA for updates on your contract campaign!

Delegate Assembly Agenda is here  

You can use the same link as for other DA meetings – follow this link from your computer or smartphone. Meeting ID: 810 1671 8065, Password: 783119.

Bargaining Thursday, May 11, 2-5pm, in MUB 261: Support AFT’s Negotiations for a Fair Contract & a Better College

The administration canceled bargaining today. We apologize to all AFT members who were inconvenienced. However, we are bargaining again this Thursday, and we encourage all members to attend and support our negotiations for the improved contract our students, programs, and colleagues deserve: Thursday, May 11, 2-5 PM, in MUB 261.

A Win For All Faculty: Expanded Part-Time Medical Insurance Eligibility that Saves CCSF Money

On 4/25/23, AFT signed an important memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the bargaining table that significantly expands the number of faculty eligible for health insurance, while bringing $800,000 each year in additional funding to the college. This is a win-win agreement for faculty, students, and the whole CCSF community. It’s the result of state-wide advocacy efforts to secure the state funding, and the collaboration of faculty unions all over the state in bargaining for it. For more details on this agreement, see here & the full MOU here. Starting immediately:    

1. Part-time faculty are now eligible for medical insurance through CCSF if you meet either of these conditions:
• At least 40% load in the current semester
• At least 40% load on the average, counting the current semester and the previous semester. See here for more info.

2. Faculty who are not otherwise eligible for CCSF-paid insurance can buy into CCSF plans. You would have to pay both the employer and employee portions of the premiums. Talk to HR about how to arrange this.

3. Part-time faculty who work at multiple schools are eligible for partial reimbursement of insurance premiums:
• At least 40% load total, counting all public CA community colleges. See here for details.

4. CCSF is now eligible for 100% reimbursement from the State. That means the expansion of benefits is FREE for the college. It also means CCSF gets reimbursed for the money already spent on benefits for part-time faculty. That’s about $800,000each year in stable, ongoing, new money coming into CCSF.

The rules apply immediately to all faculty, with no waiting period. If you are newly eligible for benefits, contact benefits@ccsf.edu to enroll.

San Francisco has big goals to meet for the construction of affordable housing, and as a key source for trained construction professionals, CCSF & AFT 2121 have an important role to play in this conversation. Given the unique history of the affordable housing sector in San Francisco, how do we build more housing–in the community, by the community–to meet the needs of all our City’s workers? Join San Francisco Labor Council, Building & Construction Trades Council, SEIU 1021, UNITE HERE Local 2, and community housing developers in the Council of Community Housing Organizations coalition for a robust discussion of the ways that labor and nonprofit builders can channel our collective energies to support these goals and help the City scale up the resources needed.

On Wednesday, May 17, 6-7:30pm at 55 Fillmore St, come & share your perspectives as the faculty who help train the next generation of construction professionals. For more info, see here.

Bargaining Team Listening Session on Online Course Trainings & Article 29: Intellectual Property

AFT 2121’s bargaining team is considering changes to an article in your contract regarding online teaching. Our goal is to make the process of online teaching both efficient and fair so that faculty are better equipped to serve our students and city.

There have been some recent changes to the practices around the development of online courses. Faculty are no longer required to take a training (IOTL or AOTL) for each course. After completing IOTL once, faculty can now independently develop online courses. This new process conflicts with our contract’s provision (Article 29, Section 4.1 – 4.2) that provides faculty who have developed an online course the right of first refusal to teach the course for the next four semesters. This provision made sense when every online course that developed was tied to a training. The provision makes less sense with the decoupling of training and course development after completing IOTL. Some faculty have suggested removing this section from the contract.

Our bargaining team needs broad faculty input on this issue. Members can learn more about the issue and share your feedback at a Zoom listening session on Wednesday, May 3, from 3:30-4:30 pm. Please use this link for the zoom meeting (Meeting ID: 884 5328 5675). If you cannot attend the discussion, you can also share feedback by emailing Malaika Finkelstein, mfinkels@aft2121.org by 5/3.

Bargaining Update-April 27, 2023

AFT 2121 Made A Comprehensive Salary and Staffing Proposal.
You can read the economic package proposal here. In its totality, AFT’s proposals are a roadmap for a stable and thriving City College. Highlights:

• Salaries: CCSF faculty salaries are below the median for Bay Area community colleges, yet our faculty live in one of the most expensive cities in the nation. To attract and retain the faculty our students deserve, CCSF needs to offer fair and competitive wages. The District has previously stated a commitment to keeping CCSF faculty at or above the Bay 10 median. AFT has proposed to make that commitment a reality.

• Increase Staffing for Enrollment Growth: Thousands of students have been turned away from classes they need this year due to under-staffing. From CNIT to ESL to Registered Nursing, CCSF needs to expand its staffing and schedule to meet the needs of our community. AFT is therefore asking the District to reinstate all faculty on the rehire list. This will support increased educational access for our students, protect the jobs of FT & PT faculty, and contribute to enrollment growth needed for the college to weather impending changes in state funding.

AFT is calling for an investment in our college’s future, in our students’ learning opportunities, and in our dedicated faculty by outlining a path to financial stability. By bringing back laid off FT faculty and growing FTES, we can meet students’ needs and surpass hold harmless funding in the coming years.

One quick note: AFT’s economic package has a total financial value distributed between salaries and staffing. Should the district reject AFTs staffing proposals, we reserve the ability to reallocate the total value of those proposals.

Some Positive Movement At The Bargaining Table, Finally!

On Tuesday our bargaining team signed a tentative agreement (TA) that expands medical insurance to more faculty and brings in new money to CCSF! And while this is a huge win for all parties, it was no small task to reach this agreement!

A few highlights from our Healthcare Expansion TA:

Starting immediately:
              • Faculty who work 40% or more are eligible for insurance.
              • CCSF is now eligible for 100% reimbursement from the State. That means the expansion of benefits is FREE for the college. It also means CCSF gets reimbursed for the money *already spent* on benefits for part-time faculty. That’s over $1M each year in stable, ongoing, new money coming into CCSF.

The change in State law that made this agreement possible was the result of a collaboration among Community College Unions across California. Working together, we secured the funding, and continue to make coordinated efforts to get these expanded benefits into our contracts. This is the power of organizing!

Some Things Still Haven’t Changed
The district came to the session nearly 20 mins late due to issues in making copies. And while David Martin’s team finally presented a counter proposal to AFT’s Restoration proposal,they could not sufficiently explain how the district reached their proposed restoration amount of $3M.  

The district also proposed changes to Article 13-1 Part-time Reemployment Preferences. AFT asked for a response to our previous requests for additional bargaining dates and the district offered four (4) dates over the next two (2) months. AFT called on the District’s team to commit to finding more dates to achieve their stated, and our shared goal, of completing negotiations by the end of June. The District’s team committed to offering additional dates by Monday.

The Work Has Just Begun!
We’ve made some forward movement and we’ve presented a comprehensive economic proposal, but there is still much work to be done. You can support your bargaining team by bringing your colleagues to our next open negotiations, Tuesday, May 9th, from 2-5 PM, in MUB 261.

CCSF Dance Spring Performances Friday & Saturday at 7pm

CCSF’s celebrated Dance Program is proud to present its Annual Spring 2023 Dance Concert! There will be two different evening programs this Friday (4/28) & Saturday (4/29) at 7pm. Each night will feature student dancers, returning alumni guest artists, faculty choreography and performance, as well as members of our SF high school communities. Buy your tickets here.

CCSF Theatre Presents ‘Big Love’ this Friday, Saturday, & Sunday at Z Space

This disobedient, riotous play is an energetic collage of modern gender politics, love, and domestic violence rooted in Charles Mee’s adaptation of the world’s oldest play, Aeschylus’s “The Suppliant Women.” Directed by Patricia Miller & featuring students from CCSF’s renowned Theatre program. Buy your tickets here. (CCSF Students w/ID are free)

VENUE: Z Space in the Mission
450 Florida St, San Francisco, CA 94110

PERFORMANCES April 28-30
Friday 4/ 28 @ 7:30
Saturday 4/29 @730
Sunday 4/30 @ 1:00

Moving Towards a One-Tier Faculty System–Zoom Discussion this Friday at 1:30pm

The Campaign for Faculty Equality is hosting a Zoom discussion this Friday on strategies to move towards a one-tier system for community college faculty.

Friday, April 28, 2023, 1:30 – 5:00 p.m. via Zoom
Register here & for more info, see here.

PROGRAM – Presentations and Panels
“Vancouver One-Tier Model Overview” – Frank Cosco and Jack Longmate
“Understanding the Roadblocks to Progress on PTF Wages and Job Security in California”
“How Will the Vancouver Model Adapt to California Issues and Problems?”
Breakout Discussion Rooms on Legislation, Bargaining, Unions, and more!

Bargaining Update-April 20, 2023

Last Thursday’s bargaining session was a little different from previous meetings, in that some work was actually accomplished, and the teams exchanged proposals. However, David Martin’s team was still not ready to address issues related to the budget, stating the need for guidance from folks “who are not here at the table.” They are buying time.

To be clear, these are negotiations for what you and your students deserve. AFT is committed to finding win-win solutions that improve faculty morale and student learning because that is what our city and community deserves and expects.

• Salary restoration: AFT presented our proposal to fully restore concessions on March 6. David Martin’s team still has no response. AFT’s lead negotiator Alayna Fredricks said, “We’re disappointed not to be able to start this discussion.”

• Health insurance expansion: AFT presented a counter-proposal which would still preserve our goal of lowering the bar for insurance eligibility. David Martin’s team had concerns which they couldn’t articulate and said that they lacked the authority to sign the proposal.

• Work environment: AFT had proposed specific CO2 and temperature levels. David Martin’s team responded that “the District will consider” taking care of the problems.

• Leaves: AFT presented a new proposal that would provide parental leave and expand bereavement leave, as well as clarifying some contract language on leaves. We await the district’s response.

• Union Rights: AFT had proposed greater transparency regarding the college’s budget, and for faculty to have a way to anonymously evaluate administrators. David Martin’s team rejected our proposal. However, away from the bargaining table, the administration provided a form which faculty can use to evaluate administrators by April 28. The cover sheet asks for your name, but the evaluation form itself does not. Here are the links: instructions, rubric, and cover sheet, and the evaluation form.  

• David Martin’s team presented a proposal on faculty evaluations which would give Deans more control over the evaluation process.

Our next in-person session is at 2:00pm on Tuesday, April 25, in MUB 261. We encourage all members to attend.

District Ordered by Judge to Cease and Desist, A Budget for Our Future, & Organizing for that Future

On Friday the District was ordered by the Public Employment Relations Board to CEASE AND DESIST from failing to meet and negotiate in good faith with AFT 2121. Read more about the decision here (it’s called a “proposed decision” because there could still be an appeal). This Unfair Labor Practice was filed specifically around bargaining over the restoration of the salary concessions you made in 2021-22. By the terms of that agreement, you deserve to be paid back, but to date, Chancellor David Martin and his negotiating team have refused to engage in good faith on this matter despite–or perhaps because–the District’s fiscal year 2022 actuals, that is what actually happened financially in 2021-22, show that Vice Chancellor John Al-amin was simply wrong in his predictions of a $32-$38M deficit. There was no budgetary mandate for layoffs or concessions in fiscal years 2021 or 2022, and David Martin’s team is refusing to negotiate in good faith over the consequences of that fact.

Because of devastating reductions in operations (i.e. cuts), changes at the state level to hold harmless provisions, and a number of COLAs over the last few years, the District currently has an excess of revenue over expenditures (i.e. surpluses) in the 10s of millions that David Martin intends to spend on everything but the services that directly serve students and the people who provide those services.

AFT’s own budget analysis has been far more accurate than the District’s for the previous two years, and the same is true this year. If you would like an accurate assessment of CCSF’s financial standing, then you should consult AFT’s Budget for CCSF’s Future, which provides the financial analysis and roadmap necessary to keep CCSF financially stable for years to come.

As a result of grossly inaccurate financial projections and assumptions provided by John Al-Amin since he arrived, David Martin has cut many CCSF programs to the bone, including programs that are now turning away hundreds of students every semester. There is no way to protect CCSF’s long term financial health without enrollment growth–a fact David Martin acknowledges rhetorically but not in practice. Without a swift response and correction, CCSF risks being fundamentally unable to attract and retain student enrollment.

It’s up to you to make clear what your students need. Right now, departments across the college are organizing to advocate for their top issues, and we encourage you to do the same. Join with your colleagues today to make sure the Board of Trustees understands what you and your departments need to successfully serve your students and your city.

COPE & Delegate Assembly, Tuesday 4/18, from 1:30-3pm & 3-5pm on Zoom

All members are encouraged to attend your Committee on Political Education (1:30-3pm) & Delegate Assembly (3-5pm) on Tuesday, April 18. Come to DA to find out about the next step in our contract campaign!

COPE Agenda is here

Delegate Assembly Agenda is here  

You can use the same link as for other DA meetings – follow this link from your computer or smartphone. Meeting ID: 810 1671 8065, Password: 783119.