(4/28) COPE meeting today

All AFT 2121 members are invited to come and shape our political endorsement decisions at today’s COPE meeting, Wednesday April 27th 2021 from 2:00-3:30 pm at this LINK.

Agenda items:

• Consideration of Endorsement: AB 237 (Gray) Public Employee Health Protection Act; Presenter: Maria Guadalupe Flores Rodriguez AFSCME Local 3299
• Assessing Interest in Joining Redistricting Conversations
• Reviewing Workforce Education Recovery Fund expansion FAQ and lobbying efforts

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(5/1) May Day Parade & Rally for Workers’ Rights & Racial Justice

Look for the AFT 2121 banner near Embarcadero and Stuart.

In 2021, Bay Area Labor is fighting back! Join AFT 2121’s contingent in the May Day Parade & Rally for Workers’ Rights & Racial Justice. We know that our struggle against cuts at CCSF are connected to critical organizing drives in our City led by janitors, chocolate workers, bakers and others on the frontline. On May Day, we march together in solidarity.

We will honor labor history by recreating the famous 1934 May Day march up Market Street from the Embarcadero to Civic Center for a rally. Speakers include the legendary Angela Davis and activist Eddie Zheng. Wear your AFT 2121 shirts and hoodies!

RSVP here. You can also download the FLIER and check out our Facebook Event Page.

Celebrations of International Workers’ Day, also called May Day, date back over 100 years to the fight for an eight hour work day. In San Francisco, May 1 has also played host to a rich history of collective action by workers—and this year will be no different.

The triple-threat of rising income inequality, racial injustice, and COVID-19 has hit working families hard. In order for our communities to emerge from this crisis healthy and prosperous, we need a just and equitable recovery for all. That means building support for key legislation like the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which will empower workers to exercise our freedom to organize and negotiate for better wages and working conditions. It also means uniting together—no matter who we are or where we come from—to #StopAsianHate, proclaim that #BlackLivesMatter, ensure immigrants are safe and welcome in our communities, and fight to ensure that workers everywhere can live and work with the dignity and respect we all deserve.

 

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(5/3) Fund our CCSF Virtual Press Conference

When City College is under attack, what do we do? STAND UP! FIGHT BACK! Corporate-led, chronic underfunding of our California community colleges has left our CCSF facing a cut of at least 50%, and we need to take action.

 

Join the May 3rd “Fund our CCSF Virtual Press Conference” from 12-1pm
Let’s tell City Supervisors and the Mayor: Fund our CCSF!
RSVP: http://bit.ly/AFT2121May3

City College is a majority student of color institution. It is essential to San Franciscans, especially those most at risk. So tell your co-workers, friends, and families: SHOW UP FOR CITY COLLEGE.

RSVP for the Press Conference
EMAIL Supervisors Walton and Haney

CALL Supervisors Walton and Haney

READ: FAQ about the Workforce Education Recovery Fund expansion

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(5/8) Mass Save our CCSF CARE-A-VAN

Bring your car, your bike, or your feet, and get ready to make some noise for City College. Decorate your ride with CCSF-AFT strong imagery, get your puppets, chants, and songs ready, and let’s make sure everyone at City Hall hears our message loud and clear: CCSF is San Francisco, and it needs your emergency support. This is our major action before May 15 so we need everyone–faculty, students, and community allies–standing strong.

Mass Save our CCSF CARE-A-VAN
Saturday, May 8, 11am
RSVP: https://forms.gle/u1s3fC4LqYynWQVv7

Our whole community is gathering to send one simple message: CCSF is San Francisco, and it needs to be saved.

Layoff appeals & action steps

We’ve had an entire week of testimony, but the layoff appeal hearing is not quite done. Closing arguments will be on Tuesday, 4/27, at 9:00 am. Everyone is welcome to observe on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_yOKPI8BtxQ .

Faculty made powerful presentations this week. The judge will make her recommendation to the BOT by May 7th, maybe earlier. She’s probably not going to look at the larger picture of what’s good or right, but only whether the District followed the rules for individual layoff cases.

We learned something: The disturbing rumors are true. Administration is planning to lay off full-time faculty and back-fill with part-timers. This would be a violation of Education Code, legal precedent, and basic reason. When pressed, they responded that they would re-employ full-timers as part-timers – which would still be a violation of the Education Code – and then continued to defend layoffs of FT faculty by saying classes could be taught by part-timers.

All that is about future plans and not about the notices themselves, so the judge might not rule on it. No matter what the judge decides, the BOT is free to make their own decisions when they meet on May 10th. They do not have to issue final layoff notices. They do not have to violate the law. 

You can help. We need to make sure every City Supervisor commits to Voting Yes on new funding for CCSF by expanding the Workforce Education Recovery Fund (WERF). Take three actions right now to help this happen:

1. Send a letter of support for WERF expansion to your district supervisor. We especially need the support and leadership of District 6 and District 10 Supervisors: Budget Chair Haney and President Walton.

2. RSVP for our Save Older Adult and Disability Programs Teach-In Monday at 4pm co sponsored by AFT 2121 and Senior and Disability Action.

3. RSVP for our Save CCSF Registered Nursing Virtual Press Conference on Tuesday, April 27, 12-1pm on Zoom. We need a huge show of force so come out and support our Registered Nurses!

Make the calls, send the emails, and show up for City College. This is a decisive week for us and we must remember that our power is in numbers: so let’s stick together and fight.​

(Sat. 4/24) Faculty Empowerment Fair

​Please consider attending this Saturday’s Faculty Empowerment Fair from 1-4pm, presented by the Rebuild City College campaign. 

CCSF faculty and our allies from around the state will offer career, wellness, educational, and action-oriented sessions to help us to come together in community in order to recharge. 

Students and classified staff are also invited to benefit from the sessions and to stand in solidarity with their faculty colleagues.​

(4/22) Defend our CCSF Night School Action

Attend our Thursday, April 22, 6pm-7:30pm Night School.

AFT 2121 and Associated Students are hosting an Ocean Campus Night School right by the Chancellor’s Office (Conlan Hall) to show him and the rest of CCSF leadership what our classes are all about. From dance to budget analysis, we’re going to live stream our learning and speak directly to the Trustees and CCSF Admin team: alternatives exist, & cuts are not the answer.

• Share the flyer
• RSVP: http://bit.ly/AFT2121NightSchool

(4/27) Save CCSF’s Registered Nursing Program

Attend our Tuesday, April 27, 12-1pm Save CCSF Nursing Virtual Press Conference

CCSF’s Nursing Program has been a cornerstone of San Francisco’s public health for generations. It’s one of the largest local sources of nurses, and the most accessible for students. It also services an absolutely vital community need, a need the COVID-19 pandemic has made painfully clear. But right now, City College is threatening to cut Nursing’s enrollment in half, which means half the number of students every year entering the nursing profession in our City. See the interim chair’s message on these cuts here.

CCSF is also refusing to address the existing staffing crisis in nursing (see the faculty’s earlier petition on this issue). The City College Registered Nursing Program is excellent, but it is also sadly at risk of coming apart. That’s why we’re speaking out: for the sake of our students, our college, and our city. The CCSF RN is essential for educating and preparing Registered Nurses for the future workforce of our City, which is why we are asking local leaders for their immediate and long term support. San Francisco needs CCSF Nursing.

RSVP here now: http://bit.ly/AFT2121NursingApril27

(now 4/27 & 4/28) Delegate Assembly and COPE reschedule due to layoff hearings

• DA, Tuesday, 4/27 from 3-5pm
  AGENDA
  DRAFT MINUTES
  To attend 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.
• COPE, Wednesday, 4/28 from 2-3pm
  To attend, follow this link from your computer or smartphone OR call 1-669-900-6833 then follow the prompts to enter the meeting ID #875 5134 1568 and password: 566388.

(beginning 4/19) Reminder: Layoff appeal hearings this week

Appeal hearings began today. The judge will not rule on whether these layoffs are reasonable or ethical or in the interest of the community, but only on whether they are legal.

The hearings will take place on Zoom. Faculty who received layoff notices will get a link to the Zoom webinar. The public is welcome to observe via YouTube livestream. Please do not record the hearings.

The hearings are scheduled all week, 9-5 each day. Come support your colleagues as we fight for our jobs and our college!

Monday 4/19:     https://youtu.be/H6wxHDSzv4o
Tuesday 4/20:     https://youtu.be/oLsVgM1WJA8
Wednesday 4/21:     https://youtu.be/mIE-KE-1cVo
Thursday 4/22:     https://youtu.be/1bckbXOUkeY
Friday 4/23:     https://youtu.be/SD05Is1PMZw

More information on our FAQ

(5/1) Save the date: May Day with San Francisco Labor Council

The SFLC is organizing a march and rally for May Day on May 1, 2021 and AFT 2121 will proudly be marching with our union siblings. The event will celebrate the past, present, and future of Labor. We’ll be commemorating those we’ve lost this past year as well as rallying for the PRO Act to secure a better future. You can find more information about the event HERE.

If you would like to commemorate any members who have passed away this year by a reading of their name at the event, please submit the information to Emily Nelson at emily@sflaborcouncil.org.  

(beginning 4/19) Layoff appeal hearings

Appeal hearings begin Monday 4/19. The judge will not rule on whether these layoffs are reasonable or ethical or in the interest of the community, but only on whether they are legal.

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