Negotiations Update 22 May 2025

This is our final negotiations session for the Spring semester, so we extended negotiations by an hour to make our way through a full agenda.

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Agenda

1. Article 20 Counter (District)

Most of the adjustments in Article 20 have already been agreed to–lots of green to show all of the agreement! Our final piece is an added section for the PT faculty process in retirement. PFF had presented language that modeled FT faculty in retirement. We all agreed to the importance of clear guidelines, but the District did not agree to our proposal for PT faculty to maintain their PN. PFF will revisit this language and counter at our next meeting.

2. Article 12 Counter (PFF)

PFF presented their second counter proposal to Article 12 highlighting the clarifying adjustments made, a challenge to the chair reassigned time in one department, and our commitment to keep the language outlining winter and summer dates. The focus of the discussion was on an increase to SLO facilitator stipends and an adjustment to SLO facilitator duties. Both the District and PFF are interested in clear expectations and support for SLO Coordinators, facilitators, and the process. The District shared that they would be ready with their counter at the next meeting.

3. MOU_TERB Chair Challenge Consistency (PFF)

PFF presented an MOU drafted by TERB to give consistency across all evaluations for challenging an evaluation chair. The District will connect with VP Recalde and have an answer at the next meeting.

4. TERB Forms (PFF)

PFF agreed to some of the clarification proposed by the District, including adding an optional Director instead of a Dean if appropriate. However, we pushed back once again at the proposal to add Dean oversight to all standards on the Chair/Dean form and maintained that faculty has purview over classroom environment. The District will bring back their counter at our next meeting.

5. MOU_COAAPs Coordinator

PFF presented an MOU for a temporary coordinator position to do foundational work with the noncredit programs to implement COAAPs more efficiently in noncredit ESL classes. The District was opposed to this proposal.

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Discussion

1. Vocational Salary Credits

PFF and the District discussed the process and continued concerns with implementing the new processes for awarding salary credits for certificates, licenses, and training. PFF shared concerns that the process continues to be through a lens of academia and doesn’t account for the reality of certifications in the field. Additionally, we are concerned that there have been biased perceptions that the new path for vocational salary credits is not equivalent to the traditional path of academia, which we hope all parties reject. We shared additional rationale for specific faculty and agreed to continue to work on the language so that there is a fair and consistent way to recognize industry-based expertise.

2. Information Request List

The District provided data for our information request for statistics of retirement systems and benefit waivers. We do not have final answers on our request for PT retiree information, but the District is looking into it.

3. Math/Tutoring Lab

The District still does not have an answer to this concern though it has been on our agenda since February.

4. Institutional Service while on Reassigned Time

PFF is gathering specifics from faculty on institutional service that can’t be shared among other members of a department while on grant-funded reassigned time.

5. Summer Schedule, specifically Dual Enrollment negotiations

PFF asked again to have the dedicated negotiations sessions on Dual Enrollment that we requested in our Demand to Bargain on February 27th. PFF expressed concern that Dual Enrollment has been implemented without any negotiations despite repeated requests. We asked for more negotiations sessions to be added to our summer agenda. There is currently one short session in June and three long sessions in August.

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Next Meeting: Thursday, June 10th

Signing off—but still here for every comma, clause, and cause.

Your Negotiations Team