Dues Increase Vote passes with strong member support
Last week, AFT 2121 members voted to increase dues from 1.26% to 1.5%. Since 2011, we avoided raising dues because members were struggling with salary cuts and low pay. Instead, our union has dipped into our reserves to pay for rising costs. But to be able to continue to do the organizing work that is protecting our College from the ACCJC and has led to our successful contract campaign, we need to get our union on solid financial ground. This vote shows that our members want our union to be ready to meet the challenges ahead.
Numbers:
Yes 283 – 82%
No 62 – 18%
Spoiled ballots 8
Early Retirement Incentive Plan and organizing to protect our College
Yesterday, our rank-and-file leaders had a long and thoughtful discussion at the Delegate Assembly meeting about how to proceed and passed the following resolution “Authorize the bargaining team to proceed with negotiating the early retirement incentive (SERP) under the best terms possible to protect educational quality and programs.”
Currently, AFT and the District are negotiating an early retirement incentive plan for full-time faculty with at least 5 years of service and 55 years of age. The incentive is 65% of annual base salary, with a range of options for disbursement, from 5 years to lifetime.
This plan is entirely separate from CalSTRS; it is privately administered by Keenan and Associates. Given the large number of full-time faculty 55 or over at CCSF relative to other colleges, it is anticipated that 100 faculty might retire at the end of this academic year. Under the agreement, some faculty retirements under the incentive may be deferred untilDec. 31, 2017 depending on total number of applicants and the impact on disciplines/programs.
A key sticking point for the Union has been the unwillingness of the District to commit to replacing more of these retirees. (The District so far says it will agree to replace 50% of themwithin 5 years.)
The District wants to save money, given the loss of stability funding in 2017/18, on the order of a $35 million reduction in State apportionment to CCSF. By not replacing retiring faculty, or delaying their replacement, the District plans to cut costs. In response our Union, has asked the District to commit to replacing vacant positions in a way that will maintain the current balance of full-time and part-time faculty members over the next five years.
Notices to eligible full-time faculty must be made soon to allow for adequate time to consult with retirement counselors (to be provided by Keenan), and to deal with the impact of these vacancies on program offerings and scheduling for Fall 2017. We would like our retirement-eligible faculty to have the benefit of this bonus, but we don’t accept the district’s intention to use this as another way to downsize the college.
Next steps
We will continue to directly resist cuts and organize to protect the integrity of our classes, our programs, and our college. You can help us tell Chancellor Lamb: stop the downsizing, support student access to education! Please join our next action and help us open further the conversation about class cuts. Here’s three things that will help:
- Please fill out and share the “Don’t Cancel our Future” postcard (return to AFT 2121 by Wednesday, 11/30 at 5pm).
- Join us to deliver hundreds of “Don’t Cancel our Future” postcards to Chancellor Lamb at her First Friday Forum Friday, 12/2 in MUB 140 at 1:15pm
- Invite students and coworkers to our action: Share this flyer
We will keep faculty informed as we move forward.
In Unity,
Tim Killikelly
AFT 2121 President
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