(Vote now!) Ways to turn out for David Campos + COPE Voting Link

Our COPE met on Thursday December 14th to discuss ways to support David Campos, our endorsed candidate for assemblymember.

The voting link for the COPE proposal to donate to his campaign is hosted here (link here) until 2:30pm on Wednesday 12/15. Read below for ways our members can plug in to David Campos’ campaign during the winter break.

(12/15 & 12/16) Chancellor Petition Week of Action

Chancellor Martin has indicated that, based on budgets he has received from VC John al-Amin, he’s exploring the possibility of issuing March 15th layoff notices. We can’t let that happen.

To encourage Chancellor Martin to work with you to grow, not slash, educational opportunities for your community, he needs to hear from YOU. That means signing the petition (link here) and joining your union’s Petition Week of Action.

• Weds, Dec 15, 10am-4pm, Phone Bank your Colleagues to Build the Power of Your Petition- Your power is in numbers, so come call your colleagues and encourage everyone to stand strong (link here). RSVP by replying to this email with your preferred time.
• Thurs, Dec 16, Grading Party, 12-2pm- Join your AFT colleagues in getting a jumpstart on grading for the end of the semester (link here). Share best practices, tips for grading efficiently and then take the time to grade those pesky extra credit assignments, missing discussion posts and quizzes, and of course final assignments. RSVP by replying to this email.

Register now for January 2022 Financial Planning Day

The Retiree Chapter of AFT 2121 will be hosting its 13th annual Financial Planning Day virtually this year! The event is open to all CCSF union members. Newer AFT 2121 members are encouraged to attend.

• Save the date Jan 13, 2021 8am-2pm
• Register in advance for this meeting
• DRAFT workshop schedule

Participants needing disability accommodations must contact anvanderslice@gmail.com by January 7.

The AFT 2121 Retiree Chapter needs volunteers to help with breakout groups during the zoom event. If you are interested in volunteering to be a co-host and helping with technical zoom questions for one of the panel breakout rooms please email retirees@aft2121.org. Or just register for the next volunteer practice session on Tuesday, 12/22 at 10am.

(12/15 & 12/16) Homes for families, no profits

Affordable housing is endangered in California, hunted down by corporate greed. Real estate speculators, large and small, are buying up homes and neighborhoods, making it impossible for families to buy, rent, and stay in their communities. But this winter, state legislators have the opportunity to stand with regular Californians by holding speculators accountable and forging a new path together.

Keep homes affordable and safe for families by emailing and calling key legislators now, by clicking (link here) to help pass two state bills to protect our current and future homes in California:

• Assembly Bill 1199 taxes corporate landlords and requires they register their properties so large real estate monopolies cannot hide from accountability.
• Assembly Bill 854 Families in rent controlled homes are regularly evicted using the Ellis Act by new owners looking to spike future rents. AB 854 requires 5 years of ownership before a new landlord can exit the rental business.

What’s next? Homes for Families Week of Action: Dec 14-16

• Wednesday, Dec 15, Noon: Homes for Families Twitterstorm & Social Media Education Campaign. Join the twitterstorm and social media campaign to educate our lawmakers and friends about how together we can solve our housing crisis in California! Follow us on Twitter: @HousingNowCA
• Thursday, Dec 16, 6-8pm PST: Homes for Families Phonebank and Storybank Register here. Join our phonebank and storybank anytime between 6-8pm to leave a message for key legislators who can make a difference and record your own story on why this is important to you, stories we will share directly with our legislators who need and want to hear from you!  
• Want to get more involved? Check out our website: www.housingnowca.org/homes4families

Dear Members,

I didn’t want to write this message.

On Thursday night, I addressed the Board of Trustees and spoke about AFT’s Alternative Budget, showing that our college could end fiscal year 22-23 with a fully funded reserve and a surplus. I told them: “If anyone tells you that now is the time to shrink and cut, they are not basing that on sound financial analysis.”

On Friday I got a phone call. Seems there is some thinking going on in this college based on things other than sound financial analysis and the needs of the San Francisco community.

I want to say first: Nothing is definite yet. Administration does not have a firm plan, a specific number of layoffs, or an understanding of the programmatic impacts of their choices. They only have a vague direction, and that is to shrink the college. There is still time to convince them to change course.

Chancellor Martin called me and told me that based on the budgets he received from VC John al-Amin, he is exploring the possibility of issuing March 15th layoff notices. That means there would be class and program cuts deep enough to lay off part-time and full-time faculty. It seemed to me that VC Tom Boegel has convinced him that CCSF is most fiscally sound when there are no pesky students to serve. The VCs seem to think that this will create stability in the college.

Nothing could be further from the truth–cuts only lead to more cuts. We’ve seen this firsthand over the past 10 years, and the result is that our college is failing to meet the needs of San Francisco. We urge Chancellor Martin to reject the advice of lazy Vice Chancellors with no vision and a demonstrated track record of financial mismanagement and outright neglect. He should instead work with the CCSF Revenue Unity Coalition in its historic campaign to win the long-term local funding necessary to truly serve our City.

CCSF has an opportunity right now to be a national leader, but that requires all of us to step up. We can grow instead of slashing, but it requires that Chancellor Martin listen to YOU.

Add your name and picture to your union’s petition to the Chancellor right now and make this clear: We are not backing down. We will not allow short-sighted and incompetent administrators to destroy our college.

This petition is just the beginning so sign it and then join one of the teams that will be helping lead this campaign.

• Sign up here to join AFT’s Committee on the CCSF Budget

• Sign up here to join AFT’s Committee on CCSF Enrollment

• Sign up here to join AFT’s Communications Committee

• Sign up here to join AFT’s Organizing Team to learn how to talk about these issues with your colleagues and the public.

Solidarity!

Malaika Finkelstein

President, AFT 2121

Dear Members,

Despite extraordinary challenges in securing cooperation from VC al-Amin, your union has been tracking the District’s finances and state finances to analyze the District’s current financial position.

Attached you will find a preliminary estimate for the 2022/23 fiscal year (link is here). While these estimates are evolving, the District’s financial position has changed materially from what VC al-Amin has asserted. If the District acts responsibly and state conditions continue to look favorable, we expect the District to close FY23 with fully funded reserves and a surplus.

We recognize that this is not the end of the story. The end of hold harmless in 2023/24 and declining enrollments pose long-term threats to the District’s financial health. In response, an unprecedented coalition of CCSF administrators, SF Building Trades (Building Trades (SFBCTCU), Stationary Engineers (IUOE local 39), Classified Staff (SEIU 1021), and Faculty (AFT 2121) have come together to form the CCSF Revenue Unity Coalition to win the long-term local funding that the District needs to sustainably meet the needs of San Francisco.

Take action now to support this effort by signing your union’s Petition to Chancellor Martin (link is here). Chancellor Martin is undoubtedly under pressure to continue the downsizing of CCSF–that’s a fact. To ensure he stands with our students, our city, and the CCSF Revenue Unity Coalition, you need to sign this petition and encourage all of your colleagues to do the same: https://bit.ly/3Izv8ko.

It’s time to make this clear–we as a faculty stand absolutely united behind the effort to protect and grow City College.

In Unity,

TEAM AFT 2121

Vaccine Mandate Reminder

Beginning Spring 2022, all faculty members must submit proof of vaccination or request an exemption in order to be assigned.

 This applies to all assignments, remote and in-person.

 Faculty who fail to submit proof of vaccination / exemption at least ten working days before the start of their assignment will be placed on unpaid leave. Faculty who willfully fail to comply by the end of Spring 2022 semester may be terminated.

 If you’re not sure you have a Spring assignment, we recommend submitting your information now so you will be eligible if something becomes available.

 It’s supposed to take 10 days to validate your submission, but we’ve found that in some cases it takes longer. Don’t delay – upload your information now to avoid problems with Spring assignments.

 If you need help submitting your information, contact the CCSF helpdesk.

You can find more detail in our 12/4/21 post.

Take Action for PT Faculty Healthcare

For too long, too many part-time faculty in California’s community college system have gone without healthcare benefits. But in the upcoming legislative session, you have an opportunity to address this — beginning now.

Please take a moment to sign this CFT letter to Governor Gavin Newsom, urging him to include funding for part-time faculty healthcare in his January budget. Part-time faculty are essential to our students’ success, and like all workers they deserve access to quality, affordable healthcare.

To sign, click here, enter your info, and then click “start writing.” A pre-written letter will appear, which you can either use or edit. Above the letter, there’s a drop-down menu, and you have to select something or it won’t let you send. Choose “Education Issues/Concerns.”