Volume 46 Number 3
Helping to create stronger locals
In its continuing quest to foster organizing for membership recruitment and development, the CCA Membership Committee has introduced two new grants available to our locals. We are very grateful to the National Education Association, which provided a significant portion of the funding for these grants.
Members of the CCA Membership Committee include: Lynette Nyaggah (CCA Vice President), Gaylla Finnell (Imperial Valley), Elizabeth Maloney (Delta), Ken Nolte (Shasta), Fola Odebunmi (North Orange), Andre Sims (Sierra) and Michael Smith (Victor Valley).
The grants include:
1. Membership Committee/Chair Grant
This grant is open to all Fair Share locals who are working on building a Membership Committee. It is made up of two phases. In the first, the local chapter which does not currently have a Membership Chair appoints a Chair and at least three committee members. Then, the chapter contacts the CCA Vice President and their CCA Primary Contact Staff (Diana Fernandes Lisi, Alan Frey, Robin Devitt or Marianne Reynolds) to arrange for committee members to complete Membership Committee training.
In the second phase, the Chair and committee implement their Membership Organizing Plan developed in conjunction with CCA Staff and hold at least one membership recruitment event.
2. Local Power Planning Grant
This grant is open to Fair Share locals which are wall-to-wall (including both full- and part-time faculty). The intent is to build local power by encouraging recruitment, inclusion and participation of part-time faculty in the life of their union. The first phase of these grants will be piloted in Spring 2011 with four locals: College of the Siskiyous FA, Gavilan College FA, Chaffey College FA, and San Bernardino Community College District FA.
They will be sponsoring workshops on Part-Time Retirement or Unemployment and will be funded for these events by this grant. This initial grant will be made available to other chapters at an event at the Spring Conference.
The second stage of this grant, available to those who hold the first event, will involve the expansion of outreach to part-time faculty based on an organizing plan developed by the local in conjunction with their CCA Primary Contact Staff and the Membership Committee.
CCA is very excited about these new grants focusing on part-time faculty. John Martin, Northern Part-Time Director, expressed his support: “All part-time faculty need to be represented. Having part-time faculty included in their wall-to-wall chapters is essential to the strength of the local.” John Sullivan, Southern Part-Time Director, echoed that support: “Membership for Part-time faculty is much more advantageous than being a non-member. Having advocates to call both locally and at the state level means that the 800 lb. CTA gorilla is behind each one of us.”
3. Continuing Grants
The Membership Committee will also continue to offer grants to those non-Fair Share (Agency Fee) chapters which are in the process of converting to Fair Share. The intent is to help these locals with member support activities before and after the conversion to Fair Share. In order for a chapter to receive this grant, CCA asks for an investment in time and effort. The requirements include appointing a Membership Committee, building a membership organizing plan, arranging for training, and writing a final report.
In order to apply for these grants, CCA locals should get in touch with the CCA Vice President, Lynette Nyaggah ( lnyaggah@gmail.com ), who will work with them and their Primary Contact Staff to complete the applications.