Administration violates contract, cancels fully enrolled classes

First, Chancellor Rocha raised our long-held, unofficial minimum enrollment number from 15 to 20 students.

Next, he reduced Fall 2019 class offerings drastically. Compared to the Fall 2018 schedule we have lost 307 sections, 135 classes were eliminated completely, and 2,852 students took classes enrolled at 20 or above that are no longer offered on the Fall 2019 schedule.

Then, he told us he will cancel up to 200 more so-called “low-enrolled” classes six weeks before they are scheduled to start, effectively preventing them from reaching the contractually protected 20 students minimum.

Now, he’s setting his sights on classes with 20 or more students, in violation of our contract! Last week VC Dianna Gonzales told AFT 2121 leaders that the administration believes they can waive the contract provision protecting classes with 20+ students for “budgetary reasons” (even though the college’s budget currently shows a $1.5-$2 million surplus!)

This isn’t just talk: Aircraft 106, Aircraft Metals Structure was fully enrolled by early June, with its wait list also maxed out at 10. Then the administration ordered the department to make cuts, in spite of high student demand, and in spite of the 25% reduction that the department had already suffered. Aircraft 106, Aircraft Metals Structure was the casualty. Instructor Wai Lam, a mechanic for United Airlines, says his employer is constantly hiring qualified mechanics, but now, instead of stepping into those high-paying jobs at the end of the fall term, his 25 students must wait until Fall 2020 to take his class and qualify for those jobs.

AFT 2121 demands the immediate restoration of all cancelled classes with 20+ students, as well as the restoration of all courses that were pre-emptively cancelled for so-called “low-enrollment.”

If your cancelled class had 20 or more students registered:

• Please fill out this cancelled class reporting form immediately, as we plan to file formal grievances and unfair labor practice charges over any cancellations that violate our contract.

If your class was cancelled (even if enrollment hadn’t yet reached 20):

• You and your students can sign up to speak out against unwarranted class cancellations. We need people to share their stories by accompanying our Union President to meetings individual trustees and coming to the next Board of Trustees meeting on August 22, 4pm-6pm (exact time TBA).
• Please fill out this cancelled class reporting form to help us track and respond to cancellations.

All faculty:

While meetings and legal proceedings are important, our most powerful and effective weapon is direct action, so we’re planning a Flex Day action on Friday August 16 in support of our contract and our colleagues whose rights are being violated. Please watch for an email with details about this action.

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