PRO/CON ARGUMENTS FOR AMENDMENTS TO THE AFT 2121 CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

Below you will find pro and con statements about the proposed seven (7) amendments to the AFT 2121 Constitution and Bylaws that appear on your election ballot.

Several statements were submitted that support approval of the group of amendments approved by the Delegate Assembly, i.e. Amendments 1 thru 5. These statements appear FIRST, before the Pro/Con arguments for Amendment 1.

Click on the amendment or group of amendments to jump directly to arguments submitted for them:

1 thru 5 – Statements about the group of amendments 1 thru 5
1 – Rights of retired members
2 – Non-substantive changes
3 – Merging the Constitution and By-laws
4 – Remove ability of people who are not CCSF employees to petition for membership
5 – Specify that only current members can vote on AFT 2121 contract ratification
6 – Establish a Full-time Committee
7 – Option for Precinct Election


1 thru 5 – Statements about the group of amendments 1 thru 5

APPROVE – Statement on amendments 1 thru 5 by the AFT 2121 Retiree Chapter

Statement supporting the merged constitution

The AFT2121 Retiree Chapter includes many former leaders of the union.  We have watched as the bylaws and constitution have changed over time, and see that inconsistencies have developed.  We have worked closely with the current leadership, who understand these irregularities through day-to-day operation of the union, to reconcile these inconsistencies by merging the bylaws and the constitution.  These changes also formalize the existing relationship of the Retiree Chapter to AFT2121.  The retiree chapter strongly urges a YES vote on proposed changes #1-#5 for the merged constitution as recommended by the General Membership Meeting.

APPROVE – Statement on amendments 1 thru 5 by Ann Killebrew

Please vote Yes for proposed ballot measures 1 thru 5 to change the AFT2121 constitution. Retiree Chapter members have worked closely with the Constitution Revision Committee laboring to create a fair and useful new document merging the older overlapping and often redundant constitution and bylaws.  These proposed clarifications and changes will provide us with a document much more easily read and benefiting AFT2121 as a whole.  I believe the new constitution will help make the union stronger and more effective.

APPROVE – Statement on amendments 1 thru 5 by Debbie Wilensky

Hopefully everyone will have the good fortune to someday be a retiree and will see the proposed changes (to constitution and bylaws) that clarify the role of retirees as beneficial to everyone’s future self. Please vote yes on proposed ammendments 1-5.

Debbie Wilensky

 REJECT – No con statements were submitted for the group of Amendments 1 thru 5


1 – Rights of retired members

APPROVE – Statement on Amendment 1 by the AFT 2121 Executive Board

This proposal is the result of hard work from both the Executive Board and Retiree Chapter. It preserves our active and valuable Retiree Chapter as a source of energy, guidance, support, and institutional knowledge. At the same time, it reserves representation and leadership roles, including the ability to run for most offices, to employees who are actually working and in the bargaining unit.

The AFT 2121 Executive Board recommends a YES vote on the rights of retired members.

APPROVE – Statement on Amendment 1 by Karen Saginor

The proposed changes will allow/encourage retirees to engage in the work of AFT 2121. Retirees will send  representatives to the Delegate Assembly and the Executive Board. Retirees may serve as delegates to conventions and to the Labor Council. To preclude any possible conflicts of interest, retirees will not be eligible to vote on dues, wages, working conditions, employee benefits, or other contract issues. Retirees may not serve as the officers of AFT 2121 who provide fair representation in employee negotiations with the district. I support voting YES on these amendments.

 REJECT – No con statements were submitted for Amendment 1


2 – Non-substantive changes

APPROVE – Statement on Amendment 2 by the AFT 2121 Executive Board

Our Constitution and By-Laws need editing. This includes fixing typos, edits for clarity, edits to reflect current practices such as monthly pay, and the removal of gendered language.

The AFT 2121 Executive Board recommends a YES vote on non-substantive editing.

REJECT – No con statements were submitted for Amendment 2


3 – Merging the Constitution and By-laws

APPROVE – Statement on Amendment 3 by the AFT 2121 Executive Board

Our Constitution and By-Laws contain redundancies and inconsistencies. It’s hard to find and interpret information, creating confusion and extra work.

Within CFT, some unions have merged documents and some don’t.

Some worry that merging the two will make it harder to make future changes. But in fact, there’s so much overlap that the simpler By-Laws amendment process cannot always be used without also using the more difficult Constitution process. Changes to the merged document would follow the Constitution process, which requires a democratic membership vote.

The AFT 2121 Executive Board recommends a YES vote to combine the Constitution and By-laws.

APPROVE – Statement on Amendment 3 by Gus Goldstein

I urge a YES vote on the combined constitution and by-laws.  When we tried some years ago to make the documents mutually consistent, I personally found it bewildering: in places they were redundant, in other places contradictory.  We did what we could, reorganizing and proposing changes to make them consistent.  My hat is off to those who worked so hard to make the new, unified draft so coherent.  Please support that effort.  (If you believe by-laws must be separate, vote YES now; then work to change that next time.  Support this remarkable improvement now; amend, if necessary, later.)

APPROVE – Statement on Amendment 3 by Ann Killebrew

Please vote Yes for the proposed changes to the AFT 21212 Constitution and By-Laws.  Several Retirees along with the Constitution Revision Committee have spent many hours to combine the Constitution and By-Laws into one fair and useful new document.  These proposed changes will provide a single easily read document benefiting the members of AFT 2121.

Respectfully,

Ann Killebrew

APPROVE – Statement on Amendment 3 by Doug Orr

I support the merged constitution

I cannot speak for every single union, but I have worked with several different unions, both of teachers and others. These unions all had a single constitution rather than separate bylaws and a constitution. Separating the two makes it very difficult to ensure that both documents are consistent with each other.  Having just one document allows the union to be more effective in its activities. These changes also formalize the relationship between AFT2121 and the AFT2121 retiree chapter.   I support a YES vote on the proposed changes to the constitution.

Doug Orr

APPROVE – Statement on Amendment 3 by Karen Saginor

I support a YES vote on integrating by-laws into the constitution. Consulting two different documents that do not cleanly align with each other creates unnecessary complexity, confusion, and in some cases, contradictions. Submission of future changes to a vote on a ballot like this one will ensure that they receive appropriate scrutiny by the entire membership before being implemented. AFT 2121 leadership is to be commended for their diligent work to create a clear unified document to keep our union strong in representing its members.

REJECT – Statement on Amendment 3 by Abigail Bornstein

This ballot measure is not solely combining the constitution and bylaws into 1 document BUT completely altering the threshold to make changes to the bylaws from a majority (50.1%) vote in any semester to a much stricter 2/3 (66.7%) vote every 2 years during an election (See page 15 strikethrough).  Let’s properly update the constitution and bylaws and not improperly combine them.  AFT national and CFT have separate bylaws with a 50.1% vote for approval and constitutions with a 66.7% vote for approval.  Let’s continue to follow best practices by keeping these separate and maintaining the 50.1% voting threshold.


4 – Remove ability of people who are not CCSF employees to petition for membership

APPROVE – Statement on Amendment 4 by the AFT 2121 Executive Board

Our Constitution allows people who are not part of our bargaining unit to apply for membership. This provision has almost never been used. A few people have applied but no one has ever been granted membership through this provision.

Legally, AFT 2121 is the “exclusive representative” of the faculty of CCSF. Non-faculty, even if they are allies and friends, are not in our bargaining unit and should not having voting rights in our union.

The AFT 2121 Executive Board recommends a YES vote to remove the ability of non-employees to petition for membership.

REJECT – No con statements were submitted for Amendment 4


5 – Specify that only current members can vote on AFT 2121 contract ratification

APPROVE – Statement on Amendment 5 by the AFT 2121 Executive Board

Someone who is not a member of an organization should not expect to vote in that organization, nor in contract ratification votes, which are the results of negotiations, organizing, and decision-making by Union members.

This proposal would bring us into line with the practice of almost all unions.

The AFT 2121 Executive Board recommends a YES vote to change our contract ratification rules.

REJECT – No con statements were submitted for Amendment 5


6 – Establish a Full-time Committee

APPROVE – Statement on Amendment 6 by Abigail Bornstein

All faculty want a comfortable “space” to have their issues and concerns heard.  Although many issues and concerns are universal to all faculty, not all are.  Like the part-time faculty already have, the full-time faculty would like to have a Full-timer Committee to discuss freely and openly the issues and concerns that pertain specifically to full-time faculty.  We ask that you give full-time faculty that similar space by voting ‘Yes’ for a standing Full-timer Committee just like the existing standing Part-timer Committee.

REJECT – Statement on Amendment 6 by the AFT 2121 Executive Board

39% of faculty at CCSF work full-time, but those who work full-time constitute 64% of our Executive Board, 82% of our Negotiations team and 69% of our Precinct Reps.

This is not unique. Many unions, including ours, created part-time committees to address this issue of under-representation. The statewide CFT has done this as well, and they did not create a full-time committee.

There is no need to create a full-time committee to address lack of representation.

The AFT 2121 Executive Board recommends a NO vote on a full-time committee.

REJECT – Statement on Amendment 6 by the AFT 2121 Retiree Chapter

Statement opposing “full-time” committee

Part-time faculty are underrepresented in all aspects of college governance. The part-timer committee was established to expand the representation of this group within the union.  On the other hand, full-time faculty are already adequately represented in college governance, including in the leadership of the union. The role of the union is to represent ALL faculty.  The proposal to create a standing full-timer committee within the union does not provide either a reason for its creation, nor any explanation of what its role would be.  The retiree chapter urges a NO vote on this proposal.

REJECT – Statement on Amendment 6 by Ann Killebrew

Please vote NO on the proposed committee for Full-Timers.  There is no need.  AFT 2121 is unique as a local of full-time faculty that also includes part-time faculty and works diligently to create better working conditions and to create more full-time positions.  Across the state and the country AFT has many more locals which are one or the other.  Working together for the common good of both full time and part time faculty is actually rare.  We do not need separate competing committees.

Respectfully,

Ann Killebrew

REJECT – Statement on Amendment 6 by Doug Orr

I oppose creating a “full-time” committee

Part-time faculty are often “freeway flyers,” who are not able to spend as much time at CCSF as do full-time faculty. Thus, they are less likely to participate in faculty governance or union leadership. The part-time committee was created to help increase the participation of this underrepresented group. Because full-time faculty are already adequately represented in the union, there is no reason to create a separate “full-time” committee.  I ask everyone to vote NO on this proposed change to the constitution.

Doug Orr


7 – Option for Precinct Election

APPROVE – Statement on Amendment 7 by Precinct 4 Members

There should be an OPTION for the Precinct Rep to be democratically elected by the members of the precinct upon a vacancy.  Currently if there is a midterm vacancy, the precinct members have no say and have no vote in electing their Precinct Rep.  Only the union president can nominate a precinct rep and only Delegate Assembly members (which are not from your precinct) determine who and if you get a Precinct Rep.  Please allow an option for precinct members to vote in their own representation and ensure a vote at the table on important union matters.

REJECT – Statement on Amendment 7 by the AFT 2121 Executive Board

This proposal would allow a mid-term election to fill vacant Precinct Rep position. The election would be triggered by petition of 10% of the members of the precinct, and would have to be completed in 3 weeks. While the idea of a mid-term election is reasonable, 10% is too low a threshold and completion within 3 weeks unrealistic.

The AFT 2121 Executive Board recommends a NO vote on Precinct Rep replacements.

REJECT – Statement on Amendment 7 by the AFT 2121 Retiree Chapter

Statement opposing the precinct rep proposal

In the past, replacement reps were elected. The process did not work well. After finding a willing person very few in the precinct voted. The bylaws were changed to allow the president, who is elected by the membership, to appoint a replacement. This is the practice of most democratic institutions, e.g. governors appoint replacement senators. The proposed process would be acceptable, but only if the threshold for calling an election were at least 33% of union members in the precinct. The retiree chapter of AFT2121 urges a NO vote on this amendment as written.

REJECT – Statement on Amendment 7 by Dayna Holz

Special off-cycle Precinct Rep elections are unnecessary and a waste of union dues. We already have a system in place that works very well the vast majority of the time in cases where a Rep needs to be appointed outside of the scheduled elections. Special elections will cost the union money that we could spend on something necessary and for the benefit of all union members. This is costly, redundant, and not necessary.

REJECT – Statement on Amendment 7 by Doug Orr

I oppose the precinct rep proposal

The spirit of the proposed new process of electing replacement precinct representatives is to increase democratic input, but the proposal is fatally flawed.  The 10% threshold for calling an election is absurdly low. In some precincts, this could be just one person, and in most precincts it would be just two.  A more reasonable threshold would be 50% +1.  I strongly urge a NO vote on this poorly drafted change to the constitution.

Doug Orr

City College’s Budget: AFT’s Authoritative Analysis

See AFT’s full Budget Analysis Here for an understanding of City College’s current and future finances, including the impact of the Hold Harmless fiscal freeze in 2024-25.

2023 Contract Toolkit

Spring 2024 AFT 2121 Bulletin

AFT 2121 Spring 2024 Schedule

AFT 2121 Members in Action

Read about

Contact us

Phone: 415-585-2121
Email: aft@aft2121.org.
Address: P.O. Box 591595, San Francisco, CA 94159-1595