Here is a PDF of the Nov. 16, 2011 issue of Table Talk: tabletalkNov11.

The full text of the issue is also reprinted below to make it easier for our web site’s search engine to find specific articles.

Table Talk

The Newsletter of the United Faculty of Contra Costa Community College District

November 16, 2011

 

News at a Glance

•  District Stops $100/Month FT Deductions, Will Return Money

•  UF Presses for More Full-Time Hires, Seeks Long-Term Plan

•  FACCC to Hold Annual Policy Forum at DVC in January

•  2011/2012 UF Budget Sent to Members for Ratification

•  Open E-Board Spots for FT Faculty from All Three Colleges

•  Symposium: UF Adds More Full-Time & Part-Time Roundtables

•  UF Food Drive Extended through November 30

•  President’s Message: Occupy Education Reform

 

District to Stop & Return $100/Month Full-Time Deductions

Reacting to a projected ending fund balance that is higher than expected, the District and employee groups are announcing a plan to cancel all furloughs for staff and managers in 2011-12 and return full-time faculty’s $100-per-month benefits co-pay concession from last year’s agreement.  The District will stop taking the $100/month deduction beginning immediately (with the November paycheck), and will return the money that has already been deducted, retroactive to July 1, 2011.  The District will also continue to fund UF release time per Article 3.4 and not stop funding for one year as last year’s agreement would have allowed.

As Table Talk goes to press, we are not yet sure when faculty will receive the retroactive portion of this adjustment.  Most likely, faculty will see the returned money in their November paychecks (as a negative $400 deduction for benefits).  Failing that, the District might use a special Dec. payroll run.  At the latest, the money will be in the Jan. 1, 2012 paycheck.  The District’s goal is to return the money in a way that does not require any special or complicated tax reporting for faculty.  The UF will send an update via email as soon as the plan is set.

This adjustment to last year’s agreement comes after months of analysis and discussion, in light of changing budget realities.  But the UF and CCCCD have not reopened contract articles and will not begin collective bargaining again until spring, 2012.  Rather, the District and UF have agreed to changing the implementation plan with a memo of understanding to return some concessions, with the District electing to spend from reserves rather than see employees lose pay in 2011/12.

Not all of the faculty’s concessions from last year are being returned at this time.  Part-time lecturers and part-time English Composition professors took a one-semester pay cut when no parity was paid in spring of 2010, and the current adjustment does not make them whole, nor has the District returned the two years of sabbaticals faculty gave up in last year’s agreement.  But the UF will certainly bring these issues to the table when formal negotiations begin again in the spring.

It is important to note that while CCCCD’s ending fund balance has grown significantly since last year (mostly the result of over-cutting and conservative planning, or so it seems), the financial crisis that prompted schedule reductions and layoffs of staff, managers and part-time faculty, as well as concessions in negotiations last year, is far from over.  Recent financial news from the State is disappointing; mid-year cuts seem likely, and in the current environment, we cannot count on new money in 2012/13 (growth or COLA) to help the District address its structural deficit, which is projected to grow from $6 million to more than $8 million over the next couple of years.  We still face difficult challenges ahead, but in the short run, the District’s decision to mitigate the financial impact on faculty and staff in 2011-12 by spending one-time money, reflects the spirit of last year’s agreement, wherein both the UF and District understood that adjustments might be appropriate as budget realities changed and became clearer.

 

UF Presses for More Full-Time Hires, Seeks Long-Term Plan

At our October Contract-Review Committee meeting with Chancellor Benjamin, and then again at last week’s District Staffing and Education Planning meeting, the UF presented statistics illustrating CCCCD’s low full-time/part-time faculty ratio, compared to other Bay Area districts. Vice Chancellor Gene Huff also provided data showing that although the District has continued to meet its State-mandated “Faculty Obligation Number,” we have suffered a nearly 11% decline in full-time faculty since 2002.

Recognizing the current financial constraints, the UF is seeking a long-term plan to improve our full-time/part-time ratios.  Several recent studies have demonstrated a clear link between student success and access to full-time faculty.  A lack of investment in part-time faculty also correlates to lower student outcomes.  Thus parity progress and more full-time hires will be at the top of the UF’s agenda this year.

 

FACCC to Hold Annual Policy Forum at DVC in January

The Faculty Association of California Community Colleges (FACCC) will hold its annual Policy Forum at Diablo Valley College on Friday, January 27, 2012.  The meeting will bring faculty leaders from throughout California to DVC for open discussions on the Draft Recommendations of the Student Success Task Force (SSTF) and faculty responses.  UF President Jeff Michels is chairing the FACCC Policy Committee this year, and he helped draft FACCC’s official response to the initial SSTF recommendations (available on the UF website at www.uf4cd.org or the FACCC website at www.faccc.org).  All CCCCD faculty will be welcome to attend the Policy Forum, a morning meeting that will culminate with lunch in the DVC cafeteria.  The UF will send an email  reminder with more details once classes begin in the spring.

 

2011/2012 UF Budget Sent to Members for Ratification

The UF’s 2011/2012 budget is being delivered to faculty mailboxes along with a ratification ballot.  As in prior years, the E-Board is asking members to confirm the UF’s adopted budget by voting yes.  Ballots are due in the office by 12noon on Thursday, Dec. 1.  To vote by phone, email or fax, please contact Terri in the UF Office at 925-680-1771.  You will need the number located on the green dot of your paper ballot.

If you have questions about the budget, contact UF Treasurer Katrina Keating at Ext. 2813 or email: kkeating@dvc.edu, or UF President Jeff Michels at 923-330-2125 or ufjeffmichels@gmail.com.

Again, this year, we are mostly rolling over last year’s budget, while addressing a few key areas of need.  Revenues are projected based on the District’s adopted budget (since our funds depend on the number of District faculty) and are expected to drop next year as a result of downsizing.  Expenses will rise in just a few categories.  For example, our copy-machine lease has expired, and the E-Board decided to buy the machine along with a service contract (which will be a one-time “capital expense” but will be less expensive overall than leasing a new machine).  We also will be making a one-time adjustment to the UF’s contribution to our Office Administrator’s retirement plan, to correct a mistake we discovered from prior years.  We have also added to the conferences and workshops budget since we plan to offer the spring UF Benefits/Retirement Conference again (listed under “miscellaneous” last year), as well as other workshops potentially connected to pension reform and benefits.

We are projecting ongoing savings in several areas: insurance (where we consolidated coverage to save money) and storage of records (where we are closing an off-site facility).  We have also reduced overall expenses for personnel by eliminating two paid positions (Benefits Chair and Faculty Advocate), although we have added a bit to the negotiation line-item, so we can continue to pay for extra help, especially from subject-area specialists, on an hourly basis).  Overall, the UF is in solid financial shape, continuing to build reserves for maximum flexibility in the future.

 

Open E-Board Spots for Full-Time Faculty

A number of UF Executive Board members are serving terms that expire this year, so nominations are now open for full-time E-Board spots from all three colleges.  We also have an opening for a part-time representative from LMC.  We expect that our current E-Board members will be willing to continue on the Board, and our only true vacancy at the moment is for one full-time representative from LMC.  But as we always do when two-year terms expire, we are putting out the call for nominations.  The form is on the back of this issue of Table Talk.  If you would like to serve on our UF E-Board, your completed form must be received in the UF Office by noon Dec. 1, 2011.  If we have more candidates than we have spots on the Board, we will hold elections.  The UF E-Board meets on Thursdays, about every two weeks, from 2:15-5pm, usually at DVC.  For details, call the UF.

 

Symposium Continues with More Faculty Roundtables

In order to help the UF develop local strategies on issues related to working conditions, salaries and benefits, this year all faculty are being invited to participate in a Symposium on the State of Our Profession.  We started with full-time faculty roundtables at DVC and LMC in October.  The LMC meeting was sparsely attended, but the discussion was productive, focused mainly on increasing paperwork demands.  At DVC, nearly 60 full-time faculty attended to discuss a wide variety of issues, most notably the declining number of full-time faculty in our district.  CCC’s full-time roundtable was postponed until December (see below).

We are currently planning part-time faculty roundtables at all three colleges in December, as well as a follow-up meeting for full-time faculty at DVC.

Each meeting will include general discussion as well as time to develop action plans for making improvements in working conditions.  We have started our symposium series meeting with FT and PT faculty separately in order to better focus on the core interests and concerns of each group.  In the spring, we plan to bring faculty together for follow-up events.

 

Meetings will take place as follows:

Full-Time Faculty Roundtables

DVC:  Tuesday, Nov. 29, 3:30-5pm, BFL Conference Room

CCC:  Monday, December 5, 3-5pm, Fireside Room

Part-Time Faculty Roundtables

LMC:  Monday, Dec. 5, 12noon-1:30pm, Room SC-132

DVC:  Monday, Dec. 5, 6-7:30pm, Room L-151

CCC:  Tuesday, Dec. 6, 12noon-1:30pm, Room PS-101

 

UF Food Drive Extended Through November 30

So far, San Ramon Center leads the competition for an E-Board-thrown party for the most food donated (per FTEF) to the Food Bank, but we’ve extended our food drive through November 30, and there still time to fill your barrels!  You can also donate through our “virtual food drive” by going to: http://bit.ly/ufdrive.  Choose from 10 different food staples, select a quantity and “checkout” to donate.  The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano has been serving the community for 35 years.  They provide food to more than 132,000 hungry people in need every month directly at community sites and through a network of 180 charitable agencies.  They distributed 12.6 million pounds of food last year!  Your donations are tax deductible.

Please help us spread the word and fill the barrels before our food drive ends!

 

Update on Benefits Changes / Blue Cross Bid

There have been no significant developments where benefits are concerned since the last issue of Table Talk.  The UF and District have not yet met to discuss the Blue Cross bid, nor have we had a chance to consider other proposals and options.  We will plan some open meetings in the spring so faculty can review and discuss a range of options, including wellness programs.  In the mean time, there are no immediate changes being considered.

 

President’s Message

There is an old cliché in politics that says, “Decisions are made by those who show up.”  Recently, it has too often felt like showing up doesn’t matter, as if decisions are made by a few guys in a back room somewhere, while the rest of us show up to waste our time.  That’s how many faculty see the so-called “Draft Recommendations of the Student Success Task Force.”  That’s how UF leaders have sometimes felt about district hiring policies (we show up yearly to a District staffing meeting where decisions about how many full-time faculty to hire are not so much made as announced).  Certainly the fate of our State and National economies, and what funding for higher education may or may not be coming seem entirely out of our hands.  And yet, I feel curiously upbeat and optimistic.  Let me explain.  First, the 99% are on the move.  Maybe there’s hope for raising taxes on the 1%!  Second, faculty have shown up in such force to respond to the SSTF recommendations, that we’re bound to have an effect!  Check out all the responses on the UF website.  Faculty have mobilized! Third, our district leadership keeps working with us in partnership. If we make full-time hires a top priority now, if we continue to lead with our values, I know we can make progress.