Palomar Faculty Federation (PFF) was established at Palomar Community College in 2000, and serves both full-time and part-time faculty.  As such, PFF has Co-Presidents: one full-time and one part-time.  PFF operates under the charters of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the California Federation of Teachers (CFT), and is often recognized as AFT 6161.

PFF’S OFFICE HOURS IN MD-330

• Mondays 9:30a - 3p

• Tuesdays 9:30a - 3p & 4 - 5p

• Wednesdays 9:30a - 1p

• Thursdays 9:30a - 3p

• Fridays 11:00a -1p

PFF officers, board members, and staff cover office hours during the fall and spring semesters.  We have coffee and cookies on hand, so come by for a pick-me-up and/or to ask questions!

Over the summer, breaks, and non-school days, the best way to reach us is to email someone in PFF directly - see the list below.

PFF Executive board

ombuds

• Anastasia Zavodny

  • Ombuds, Fallbrook Center

  • Part-Time Faculty, EHPS

• Bill Jahnel

  • Ombuds, Escondido Center

  • Full-Time Faculty, EHPS

staff

• Debbie Forward

  • Organizer/Staff (not an elected position)

  • Contact for membership questions or if you just don’t know where to start with union contacts

• Jenny Fererro

  • Lead Negotiator and Elections Chair/Staff (not an elected position)

  • Full-Time Faculty, Child Development

Per PFF’s Bylaws, the Executive Board consists of 14 seats: five for full-time faculty, five for part-time faculty, and four at-large positions to be filled by either full-time or part-time.  Each term is two years long with alternating election years to provide some consistency year-to-year.

The roles of COPE President, Lead Negotiator, Elections Chair, and Grievance Officer are not tied to a particular position, but appointed by the Executive Board.  The roles of the Co-Presidents and Treasurer are tied to a particular position and are elected by PFF membership during elections, or appointed when vacated midterm. 

The demands of the leadership roles are compensated with some release time and/or stipends.  All other positions do not receive compensation.

Any PFF member who has been in good standing for the 2 months prior to nominations may run for a seat on the Executive Board.  Board member duties include, but are not limited to:

Co-Presidents serve on all major campus committees including, but not limited to, twice monthly meetings for the Strategic Planning Committee and Budget Committee, and monthly meetings for Benefits Committee. They meet monthly with the Superintendent/President as well as the VP of Instruction. They also attend Governing Board meetings, serve as Delegates to and attend the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council meetings, and represent at monthly meetings for the North County Labor Alliance. They are members of the Negotiations Team and participate in all negotiations sessions as well as attend planning meetings for negotiations. The Co-presidents oversee and edit all correspondence between the PFF and its members. Each of the co-presidents represent faculty whenever and wherever they are requested to assist.

The Treasurer is responsible for the the union’s fiduciary management and for the financial health of the union.

The Lead Negotiator develops the negotiated articles of the contract and advocates for faculty at the bargaining table and attends the annual Effective Bargaining Conference on the east coast.

Grievance Officers hear faculty concerns, direct the course of action to resolve those concerns, and represent faculty in all types of investigations and other meetings.

The COPE President oversees and directs the political action of PFF, including identifying, vetting, and possibly recommending Governing Board members, and is a Delegate to the San Diego-Imperial Labor Council.

Each of the leaders above attend the twice-monthly meetings of PFF, where they are required to provide reports.  They are also expected to attend all required CFT functions and trainings, whether in Southern or Northern California.

All other Executive Board members are required to attend the regular meetings of PFF and act as campus contacts for all faculty.  They are encouraged to attend the annual CFT Conference and any other CFT functions and trainings.

The Executive Board and staff also meet every July for an all-day planning session.