Volume 45 Number 2
Chapters around the state take action
After going two years without a contract, the Lassen Community College Faculty Association and the district have reached a contract settlement that will provide a salary increase, retention of health benefits and an agreement that Student Learning Outcomes be subject to collective bargaining when used in instructor evaluation — an issue on the Lassen campus that is still before the Public Employment Relation Board, (PERB).
The PERB case stems from a charge brought by the Lassen College faculty association against the district in 2008 when the college administration unilaterally changed its policy and started requiring certificated employees to submit a student assessment plan whenever they submit a course syllabus. When the administration topped off the demand by proposing that faculty be evaluated based on its Student Learning Outcomes, (SLOs) the chapter took the matter to PERB.
“The whole issue is still before PERB, but it is not in the contract,” said Ross Stevenson, chief negotiator for the association. “We also successfully negotiated evaluation instruments for full and part-time faculty. That was important to us because the administration was evaluating faculty without approved evaluation instruments.”
The faculty team also negotiated a 2.5 percent salary increase retroactive to July 1, 2009 and a 3.5 percent lump sum for the previous year. Both the salary increase and lump sum payments will also be extended to part-time unit members In addition, a memorandum of understanding regarding retirement incentives was also negotiated. Faculty who retire in the next 11 months will receive a lump sum of $1500 for each year of service up to a maximum of $40,000.
“Given today’s climate, we’re pretty pleased with the agreement,” Stevenson said.
In other chapter news:
CTA Long Beach City College, Full-time represented several faculty in successfully getting their non-contractual release time restored after the district revoked it without adequate notice.
San Bernardino Community College District Teachers Association recruited 85 new members, both full- and part-time, as a result of an organizing effort that began in August with one-on-one contacts. This success was followed up with the first Reduction-in-Force (RIF) workshop offered by the association for members.
Merced College Faculty Association is organizing a political action committee for its board of trustees election.
Mt. San Antonio College Faculty Association provided representation for an adjunct faculty member who was denied unemployment benefits. At the appeals hearing, full retroactive benefits were restored to the member by the panel judge.
Barstow College Faculty Association members received negotiations training while 12 executive board members of the Palo Verde Community College Faculty Association received leadership training.