AFT 2121 Opposes Effort to Recall Members of the Board of Education

Last week, our COPE voted to join our labor siblings at United Educators of San Francisco in opposing the recall effort against three members of the Board of Education. This decision was not about the candidates in question, all of whom are up for re-election in November 2022, but about stemming the tide of anti-democratic, conservative-backed recall efforts that use millions in public funds in an attempt to rewrite the political landscape through a series of low-turnout, off-cycle elections. Many of our members expressed misgivings with the leadership of the Board of Education commissioners, while expressing concerns about how the recall could pave the way toward undermining the continuation of an elected Board of Education in San Francisco. We know first-hand how the disempowerment of elected governing boards can have long term negative effects on public education, even and especially when we disagree with those who have been elected. We look forward to engaging in robust discussion about who we believe can best serve our public schools and on the Board of Education in 2022.

(10/21) Voting link for COPE endorsements

We were glad to see you at yesterday’s 10/19 COPE meeting. For those of you who missed it, you can view the recording of yesterday’s session HERE.

Members can vote now until 2pm on Thursday 10/21 at this link: https://surveyhero.com/c/v3binwkv on:

1. Whether to endorse California Domestic Workers’ Coalition PTO Ordinance and
2. Whether to join UESF in opposing the recall of SF Board of Education commissioners.
   
   (Presentations from California Domestic Workers Coalition Director, Kimberly Alvarenga, and United Educators of San Francisco President, Cassondra Curiel, are also included in yesterday’s recording).

(Friday, 10/22), 1-2pm, Training on COVID-19 Workplace Safety Enforcement and Advocacy

Your state affiliate, the California Federation of Teachers, will be running a short but important training this Friday, 10/22, from 1-2pm on COVID-19 Workplace Safety Enforcement and Advocacy. If you’re interested in participating, please let Spencer know at sjackson@aft2121.org. The link for attending is here.

This training will cover the basics of enforcing your department’s Return to Campus plan (see the posted ones here), the terms of your union’s COVID Impacts Agreement (see here), and other issues such as what to look for in your department’s Return to Campus Walkthrough. The training will also cover the most effective means of advocating for workplace safety as a union. As counselors, librarians, and educators, we’re committed to organizing a safe return to in-person instruction, and this training is part of that process, so please come learn about how you can work to ensure CCSF returns to campus safely.

(Thursday, 10/21) Have you struggled to receive care at Kaiser?

Have you struggled to receive timely access to Kaiser behavioral health services? NUHW is calling on you to testify!

1. Call in at approximately 11am to give a public comment on item #2 of the Oct 21, Government Audit and Oversight meeting
2. Please RSVP to John Avalos javalos@nuhw.org with your name and email.
   PUBLIC COMMENT CALL-IN: 1 (415) 655-0001 / Meeting ID: 2493 244 7467 # #
   WATCH SF Cable Channel 26, 78 or 99 (depending on provider) WATCH www.sfgovtv.org
3. More info: Detailed NUHW study summarizing the problem.

Please speak to your own personal experience of accessing care and if lack of access has impacted your well being– emotionally, financially, socially, etc. Kaiser claims that patients can get non-urgent mental health appointments within the ten business day legal standard.

• Is that your experience?

• How long have you had to wait to get mental health care from Kaiser?

• How have difficulties accessing care impacted your recovery, or treatment? your community? your job or family?

• Have you had difficulty navigating the intake and assessment process for mental health care?

• Have difficulties led you to give up seeking care from Kaiser or seek care elsewhere?

• Have you or anyone you know sought mental health care from city-funded services even though you are a Kaiser member?

Example talking point:

“She has sought mental health services from Kaiser but was unable to get individual treatment. Because of this she has decided to pay out of pocket for private therapy, a great financial burden, in order to be able to go about her life. She observes that Kaiser’s intake system puts all the onus on patients to struggle to get care, which is made harder the more severe their mental health issues are.”

(10/28) Class size win & next RTC open bargaining

Thursday, we resumed Return to Campus (RTC) bargaining with the district. Thank you to those who joined us. In our first session, we had a major win!

The District agreed to extend our class size agreement to Spring 2022.

• The class size minimum will be 15
• Credit classes with 10 or more students will not be cut from one week before the class starts to one week after.
• Non-credit classes can run through the 4th week of the class regardless of enrollment.

They also agreed to extend our agreements regarding leaves and evaluations.

Details of all these agreements here.

Next RTC open bargaining session:

Thursday 10/28 10:00-noon: Bargaining for safe working conditions
Important issues (building monitors, masking, reporting of positive cases, and more) that affect all of us as we gradually return to in-person work.

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkcOGvrzguH900u9qgCU9fG1SjWJc7eEUi

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

See you there!

(11/8) Reminder: Vaccine Mandate starts

Enforcement of CCSF’s vaccine mandate for employees will start Nov. 8th. It takes up to 10 days for them to verify our information, so all faculty who are currently in-person (or plan to be later this semester) should get their vax info or request exemptions ASAP. Starting on 11/8, we will not be permitted to enter CCSF buildings without this.

• The website to upload vaccine info is functional. The mobile app is still in the works. We MUST use ccsf.edu email addresses, NOT mail.ccsf.edu or personal addresses.
• To request an exemption, use the Medical Exemption Form or the Religious Exemption Form. Once you fill out the form, you can upload it to the same website as above.
• If you have regular guests or volunteers they should also upload their info. They can email proof of vaccination to vaxx@ccsf.edu
• It’s still not clear what if anything will be asked of students on November 8th. Admin has said many times that unvaxxed students will NOT be dropped from Fall 2021 classes. Enforcement for students will definitely happen in January, but we’re not sure about what happens between them and now. Students who are in person this semester can upload their info/exemptions requests now, using the same website as employees. Students are asked to use their ccsf email addresses.
• Updates posted on the CCSF COVID-19 update page

(10/19) Strategic planning at General Membership Meeting: This is your fight, help shape it

​Many of you recently participated in a SWOT discussion with your department. Now’s the time to take the next step at your General Membership Meeting tomorrow Tuesday, Oct 19, from 3-5pm on Zoom (link here). There you will have the chance to develop and assess recommendations generated from your collective feedback on the strengths and weaknesses (‘SWOT’) of your college and your union. These recommendations will determine how we advocate as a union to protect and revive our college. 

This is your fight–it’s about your pay, your students, and your college, so make sure you’re speaking up and paying attention. Confirm you can make the General Membership tomorrow Tuesday at 3pm by replying ‘yes’ to this email. 

At precinct meetings throughout the college these past two weeks, many of you shared your perspective, your questions, and your ideas on the strengths and weaknesses of your college and your union. As a faculty, we collectively generated profound insights on the conditions of our campaign by participating in the strategic campaign exercise known as a ‘SWOT’ (the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats of and for your Organization).

At Tuesday’s General Membership Meeting, we’re going to review a summary of your insights and collectively develop the most effective next steps based on them. To shape these plans with your colleagues, you need to be a member, so if you’re not one, now is the time to join. You can do so here, and see you there!

(10/19) First reading: DRAFT 2022-23 Academic Calendar

Every year, administration creates a draft calendar for the following academic year. Our Delegate Assembly is usually tasked with reviewing it and responding, either agreeing with it or drafting a counter-proposal. This year, the timing is such that the first reading can happen at our General Membership Meeting, 10/19.

View the DRAFT calendar

If our GMM votes to approve the draft calendar as administration has proposed it, the process can end there. We’ll have an approved calendar. If GMM votes to create a counter-proposal, we’ll discuss options. We can also talk to more members and take more input over the next month. The DA can take all this input and write language for a counter-proposal in November. Then we can expect some back-and forth negotiation with administration before it’s settled. Read more….

(10/19 & 10/20) GMM, COPE meetings, voting

All AFT 2121 members are invited to participate in:

• October 19th General Membership and COPE meetings from 1:30-5pm and COPE discussion and voting kick off on Wednesday, October 20th 1:30-2:00pm (held online and open for 24 hours).  
• To attend these meeting follow this link from your computer or smartphone OR call 1-669-900-6833 then follow the prompts to enter the meeting ID #810 1671 8065 and password: 783119.

GMM agenda and draft minutes:

• (10/19/21) Meeting Agenda
• UNAPPROVED minutes – (3/23/21) General Membership Meeting
• DRAFT Academic Calendar

COPE will have two meetings:

• a series of presentations on Tuesday, October 19th, 1:30-3 pm
• and discussion and voting kick off on Wednesday, October 20th 1:30-2:00pm (held online and open for 24 hours).
• (10/19 & 10/20) Meeting Agendas

Last week, AFT National reached a settlement in a lawsuit against Betsy DeVos. The Department of Education agreed to work with AFT to ensure relief for borrowers. Millions of Americans will now have their student loans completely forgiven or will be properly enrolled in a forgiveness program crediting their years of past payments. For more details, see the AFT National Fact Sheet on this settlement and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

You may be eligible for help or even complete forgiveness with your student loans. AFT National is working with a partner called Summer to help AFT members navigate this new process. Sign up at https://www.aft.org/benefits/summer

Locally, your labor siblings at the Peralta Federation of Teachers invite you to join their clinic on reducing your student debt. It will be held on Zoom, Tuesday 10/19, at noon.

Student Debt Clinic: October 19, noon
RSVP here

(10/21) Stop the recall of Chesa Boudin: Campaign kickoff rally

Dear members,

Your AFT 2121 Restoration Bargaining subteam is going back to the table with the district on Monday, October 18, from 1:00pm-3:00pm. Please join us!

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkcOGvrzguH900u9qgCU9fG1SjWJc7eEUi

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

In light of the new state COLA funds and uncredited retirement funds, we will resume budget talks with the district with the goal of identifying what funds are available for restoring some of the wages faculty conceded to save jobs and programs in our temporary one year agreement for Fall 2021 and Spring 2022.

Hope to see many of you there. Together we are powerful!

Have you too been feverishly dreaming of SWOT tools and envisioning Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats our union and college will face in upcoming campaigns but haven’t had an opportunity to share them? Perhaps you missed the SWOT discussion your precinct rep organized. Or maybe you have additional criteria to contribute. Whatever the case, you now have 3 more (yes THREE) opportunities this week to share your vision. SWOT analysis discussions are open to all members and members without reps are especially encouraged to join one of these times:

Thursday, October 14 10-11am Zoom link

Thursday, October 14 5-6pm Zoom link

Friday, October 15 12-1pm Zoom link

To help interpret SWOT dreams, we’ve created this short explanatory video. And mark your calendars for 3-5pm next Tuesday, October 19, when at our General Membership Meeting we’ll consolidate all SWOT info and discuss next steps.