Saturday: Prop W walk | Black Lives Matter | Dues | ACCJC | more…

Come out for SF Labor Council’s education slate launch and precinct walk

Saturday, October 1st from 10:00am-2:00pm
District 4 – Sunset Reservoir Park
Corner of Ortega & 28th Ave.

Join us this Saturday morning when we canvass with SF Labor Council for Prop W (our transfer tax to make CCSF free again for San Franciscans), Prop 55, and Labor Council endorsed candidates including our Board candidates, Shanell Williams and Tom Temprano.

Next week: Lifting the Vision for Black Lives

Wednesday, Oct 5th
5PM – 7PM

Next week: Join the community celebration for Yes on Prop W and Free City College!

Thursday October 6th at noon: join our community celebration to pass Prop W, Fair Share for Free City College and Stronger SF Services, to make City College FREE for San Franciscans. Our brief event will include cultural performances by members of the Skywatchers Community Ensemble and CCSF students. Please join us!

Community Celebration: Yes on W for Free City College!
CCSF Civic Center Campus (1170 Market Street)
Thurs. October 6 at 12:00 PM

RSVP and invite
More Prop W info

Strike hardship fund deduction and dues increase vote

During our contract campaign, faculty voted to put money into a strike hardship fund through a temporary deduction of 0.05%. This showed on our paychecks as part of our union dues, raising the dues rate from 1.26% to 1.31%. In October 2016, the hardship fund collection will end, and our dues will go back down to 1.26%. The Delegate Assembly will decide what to do with the money currently in the fund (roughly $25,000). However, AFT 2121 reserves have diminished dramatically. AFT National and CFT Statewide have been increasing their fees, and we have not passed on those increases to our faculty since 2011. At the same time, our Local has invested its limited resources in a high level of organizing in support of the successful contract campaign, the battle against the ACCJC, and to save our college. We are discussing the impact on AFT 2121 finances and increasing dues. Faculty at other colleges commonly pay 1.5% in dues. On Tuesday, the Delegate Assembly approved bringing an increase from 1.26% to 1.5% to a vote of the membership. We will send out more details about voting soon.

September paychecks

Here are the major changes you should be aware of.

1) 9.6% retro payments
2) 10.7% pay increase
3) Restoration of the step that was frozen in 2009-2010
4) Added steps
5) OPEB deduction (full-timers only)
6) Lab load change (67% labs now calculated at 75%)
7) Strike hardship fund deduction

Get full info on each change…

This election season: Fight with us to reclaim our City’s promise!

This election is critical to the future of our college and our city.Our union is phone banking with student, community, and faculty volunteers every week Monday through Thursdayat the AFT 2121 office (311 Miramar Ave @ Ocean) from 5-8pm. We’re fighting to defend working families, for affordable housing, and to make our City College free for San Franciscans. Please join us!

Full AFT 2121 info for November 2016 elections

ACCJC red flags: Restoration Status, policy change on visiting team recommendations, and Beno’s retirement

The ACCJC visiting team is coming on October 10th, 2016. The Commission will decide our fate in January 2017. There are several red flags from the ACCJC that we must keep in mind.

One is old: Restoration Status. Two are recent: New Policy on Visiting Team Accreditation Recommendations and Beno’s Retirement.

Restoration Status
Under Restoration Status, which was created only for CCSF, we need to meet “full compliance” while other colleges must meet “substantial compliance”. Also there is no appeal process available to CCSF. If the ACCJC decides to disaccredit us, the only option is to go to federal court and get an injunction to keep us open.
Our Board of Trustees made a prudent decision to approve $250,000 to hire a law firm, Cooley, to prepare the college for this possibility.

New Policy on Visiting Team Accreditation Recommendations
The ACCJC has changed its policy on visiting team accreditation status recommendations. The new policy is that the team will NOT make accreditation status recommendations, unlike its previous policies.

The timing of this new policy, when they are about to visit City College of San Francisco, is both curious and frightening. As you may know the 2012 visiting team wanted to give City College of San Francisco Probation, not Show Cause, by a 14-0 vote. The ACCJC then decided to give CCSF Show Cause and the crisis began. The reason for this new policy according to ACCJC is to avoid any “perceived inconsistencies.” There will be no inconsistencies because the team will not even be asked.

Beno’s Retirement
Although we welcome Barbara Beno’s exit from the ACCJC, the June 30th, 2017 date of her retirement means that she will still be at the helm when CCSF’s fate is decided. This is troubling.

We all must remain vigilant to the reality that the ACCJC has the power to disaccredit our college. We know that their illegal and unfair treatment continues under Restoration Status.

We have taken action. AFT National, CFT and AFT 2121 has filed a complaint with the federal Department of Education to seek the immediate withdrawal of recognition for ACCJC and to end the illegal denial of due process under Restoration Status.

The recent letter calling on the federal Department of Education to deny recognition for the ACCJC from Congresswomen Pelosi, Speier, and Eshoo was an important step. The ACCJC must not be allowed continue its illegal actions against CCSF and further its culture of fear in the California Community College system.

The struggle to save our college continues.

Our Union links

• New District email policy: Fall 2016
• AFT 2121 Delegate Assembly to take up Union finances and possible dues increase
• District ratifies new AFT contract: What comes next?
• Pelosi, Eshoo, and Speier write letter urging DOE to deny ACCJC any role as an accreditor!