Our ratification vote for the new Tentative Agreement (TA) on Part-Time Faculty Health Insurance will begin Tuesday, May 2, 2023.

Tuesday afternoon, all UF members should receive an email from a “no-reply” sender with a voting link. We will also email all faculty a full-text of the TA; we will post the TA on the UF website (uf4cd.org); and there will be a link to the TA on the ballot itself. Votes will be due by noon on Tuesday, May 16. Members may vote by phone or email, if they prefer, by contacting the UF Office: uf@uf4cd.org or 925-680-1771. Each voting link is unique, so if you have a colleague who does not get a link by email, do not share your link, and have your colleague contact the UF office. Only members may vote to ratify collective-bargaining agreements.

If you have questions about the TA, you may reply to this email or connect with any UF representative, and we have scheduled several open, drop-in meetings to discuss the TA or anything else related to working conditions and the contract. These zoom meetings are open to everyone:

            • Wednesday, May 3, 10-11:30am Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88935807749

• Thursday, May 4, 11-12:30pm Zoom Link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88315931689

            • Friday, May 5, 3-4:30pm Zoom Link:   https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85622596002

Each zoom link is different. For more information, please call the UF Office.

The UF Executive Board unanimously supports the Tentative Agreement on Part-Time Healthcare options, and here is what a few of our UF Negotiating Team Members have to say about it:

• I am really happy about this agreement and think we have made significant progress towards providing full-time equivalent healthcare benefits for part-timers in our district! We are leading the pack with this work in California, and we expect many districts to follow suit in the coming years. I want to thank my fellow negotiators for all of their hard work and dedication and look forward to the ratification of this agreement. Marina Crouse, DVC
• I am excited about the agreement to provide full-time equivalent healthcare benefits to adjunct faculty. We value the work that adjunct faculty does to support students, and this agreement is a testament to that. I want to extend my appreciation to our adjunct faculty for their hard work and dedication, and to the members of the negotiating team for allowing me to be a part of this process. Together, we are creating a more equitable and supportive work environment for everyone. Sherry Sharufa, CCC
• We’ve made excellent progress with faculty compensation in recent contracts. Now we are on the threshold of extending our current affordable HealthCare Benefits to our Part-Time Faculty. Our new Tentative Agreement up for ratification this spring makes the exact same impressive HealthCare Benefits (Anthem Blue Cross and Kaiser) available to Part-Time Faculty members — with the state covering up to 97% of premiums. Another step closer to equity in the 4CD workplace. Please vote to ensure our Part-Time Faculty these benefits. (Here is another important reason for Part-Time Faculty to join the United Faculty — only members may vote on contracts – show your support for your peers and the United Faculty’s work on our behalf. Join at UF Office – uf@uf4cd.org) Douglas Dildine, Adjunct Professor DVC
• As an adjunct faculty member, I am extremely grateful and honored to have been part of the United Faculty leadership and negotiators team that worked determinedly to secure equal rights and accessibility to medical insurance for all part-time faculty. This achievement is a major win for us, as it ensures that we have access to the healthcare we require and deserve. It is a huge relief to know that we no longer have to be concerned about how we will pay for medical appointments or postpone medical attention due to financial constraints. If you are an adjunct faculty member who has not yet become a United Faculty member, now is the ideal time to do so! Come join UF! Simply email me and I will handle the rest! Mary Johnson, Adjunct Faculty, CCC 
• The UF achieved parity pay for part-time faculty, and now the UF has won health benefits for part-time faculty provided only that the part-timer works 40% of a load in this district or, if not, reaches that 40% by combining work in this district with work at another community college district so long as the part-timer doesn’t have other employer-paid health insurance. The Governing Board and management also deserve credit for agreeing to this program that, for now at least, has been agreed to in only a few districts across the state.  Michael Anker, UF Budget Analyst