After AFT 2121 members took a bold step by boycotting the Chancellor’s FLEX day address, we are happy to report two victories:
1) On Monday, the District informed AFT that it would “hold faculty harmless” whose “conference” hours have been converted from lecture to lab load, pending further negotiations with the Union. This means that faculty in Physics, Music, Computer Science and other departments facing a reduction in load/pay this semester will be paid at the same rate they had been before the class changed categorization.
We have been threatening to file an Unfair Labor Practice charge unless the District hold faculty harmless, and thanks to our demonstrated willingness to strike last semester and our action on FLEX day, Chancellor Lamb and the Board are learning to take our demands seriously. Before AFT members took action, the District refused to budge on this issue.
2) After the District told the news media that they intended to dispute our declaration of impasse – and so potentially delaying beginning the mediation process – we also learned on Monday that they will not dispute our declaration. This is another small victory because it means we can move more quickly toward settling our contract.
We hope that mediation will prove fruitful, but we have seen throughout this process that only organizing to win is what gets results. There will be no more business as usual until we get a fair contract. Again, the District must know that if we cannot resolve our disputes in mediation, AFT 2121 members are ready to strike if necessary for a fair contract. They are beginning to learn that. Help build our power by signing the pledge that Precinct Reps are circulating that you will vote “YES” to strike if necessary.
Make our voices loud and clear to the Board of Trustees – wear your AFT 2121 t-shirt and join us at the BOT meeting today Thursday, January 28 at 4pm in MUB 140, to voice our demand for a fair contract now!
Districts Reserves now over $57 million and growing!
The District needs to get serious about paying us a fair wage. They have even greater reserves than we reported last time. According to their own new figures they will have over $57 million in reserves, double what they told us at negotiations in December! The reserves would be at least a whopping 28.4%!
If they continue to underspend as they have for years that number will grow! The time to pay us a fair wage has arrived. No more business as usual until they do!
Membership drive and goals
At the Delegate Assembly meeting on Tuesday, Precinct Representatives discussed our union’s preparedness for the Supreme Courts Friedrichs decision and the possibility that Fair Share laws will be struck down. Currently, 81% of faculty at CCSF are union members, although all faculty pay a “Fair Share” fee to cover the costs of representation and negotiations that the union incurs on their behalf. If Friedrichsis decided against us, we will no longer be able to collect that fee, which will reduce our union’s power, and be unfair to those who recognize the value of the union and choose to be members.
Considering these facts, the Delegate Assembly voted to set an organizing goal of reaching 90% membership by the end of the semester to prepare for the likelihood of a negative Court decision. Right now, most fee-payers do not know they are not full members. The job of all union members is to talk with fee-payers about the benefits of our union and that we intend to maintain our strength no matter what kind of anti-union decision the Supreme Court may make.
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