With Enrollment Down, We Remain Vigilant |
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As we approach the beginning of the spring 2022 semester — our third year in this pandemic whirlpool that seems to be surging out of control — we are expecting to start with less than 70% enrollment compared to enrollment in Spring 2020. The Guild remains laser-focused on ensuring safety on campus and protecting faculty jobs. To that end, we held our first joint Guild/Teamster online forum targeted to department chairs and deans on January 20. A few college vice presidents also attended the online session, which drew 140 attendees.
The purpose of the forum was to review language in the Winter/Spring Return-to-Work MOU. In addition, the discussion included Article 13.D.1 (Assignments) and Article 17.D.1 (Department Chairs), highlighting language in our CBA that empowers department chairs as they make difficult staffing decisions. That language emphasizes that management “will rely primarily on the advice and recommendations of the elected department chairs” when making tough decisions due to enrollment declines.
To put a human face on the issues, we emphasized the personal toll that class cuts will cause for our faculty. A review of Article 16.G.3 suggests that full-time faculty who lose one of their full-time assignments should consider taking an underload and/or teaching in an intersession rather than bump. Guild EVP Bill Elarton-Selig noted, “If we have to start bumping, it will also negatively affect students.”
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In Unity,
Joanne Waddell
AFT 1521 President
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Important Update From the LACCD COVID-19 Response Team
1. Watch for an email describing “what to do if I test positive,” with information about when to get a PCR test and when to get an antigen test.
2. Board Policy 2900 was amended to include a booster shot. Plan now to get boosted when you become eligible, and add that information to your Cleared4 account.
3. The Board Policy 2900 MOU has now been signed by all unions. It includes 24 hours of COVID-related leave!
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LAVC Faculty Member Makes a Difference for LGBTQ+ Students
Hasmik Arakelyan, who serves on the Guild’s Adjunct Faculty Issues Committee (AFIC), has been a faculty member in the L.A. Valley College psychology department since 2014.
“I identified as a cisgender woman and a lesbian from a young age, and I love being a lesbian and a woman,” she says.
Her experience has motivated her to help others accept themselves.
At LAVC, Arakelyan has been extremely active in LGBTQ+ issues. She created a support program, an LGBTQ+ center, and a resource page on the student services website. She organized the first LGBTQ+ conference at LAVC in 2019 and is the advisor to the Gender and Sexualities Alliance (GSA) Club. She holds workshops, provides counseling on campus, and collaborates with the LAVC Health Center to reach students, in addition to leading Safe Zone training every semester for faculty and staff.
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Guild Treasurer and Retirement Liaison Sharon Hendricks with other honorees at the Crystal Globe Awards in December in Las Vegas. Left to right: CORPaTH Executive Director Ron Auer, former CalSTRS Board Chair Dana Dillon, Sharon Hendricks, and Jacques Loveall, President, UFCW8, Vice-President, California Federation of Labor. |
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Sharon Hendricks Honored
Guild Treasurer and Retirement Liaison Sharon Hendricks has received a prestigious award from CORPaTH, an alliance of trustees, consultants, asset managers, administrators, elected officials, and other professionals who oversee pension assets and guaranteed lifetime income accounts. CORPaTH works to protect and expand defined-benefit pension plans as well as advocate on behalf of its members while insisting on high-quality corporate governance and responsible investment strategies. It also educates members on issues critical to the current and future health of pension funds.
Sharon is board vice-chair for the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS), as well as a communication studies instructor at Los Angeles City College. She was elected to the CalSTRS retirement board in 2011. She is also active in the Community College Council of CFT and serves on the working group for the Trustee Leadership Forum for Retirement Security at Harvard, the American Federation of Teachers Trustee Council, and the California Trustee Network.
While on the board, Sharon has advocated for the development of investment beliefs, transparency on investment fees, and managing environmental, social, and governance risks such as climate change, corporate board diversity, and fair labor practices.
“I’m grateful for the work that our CalSTRS board is doing on mitigating the risks of climate change in our portfolio, among other sustainability issues,” Sharon said. “I appreciate CORPaTH’s recognition of our teamwork — grateful that this work advances the retirement security of California educators and especially my colleagues in the Faculty Guild. It’s an honor and privilege to serve our local membership, as well as the K-12 and community college educators around the state.”
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Where Are the Adjuncts in ‘The Chair’? |
By Fatema Baldiwala
When I applied for unemployment this summer, I had a realization: I’ve been an employee of the district since 2011, having taught in five of the nine LACCD colleges (LAVC, Pierce, Trade Tech, City, and Mission).
I recently sat down with excitement to watch "The Chair," the six-part Netflix miniseries that everyone in the LAVC English department has been talking about. The issues discussed were real and relatable, except for one glaring omission. Where were the adjuncts? There was nary a mention of them anywhere in the series.
I should have been furious — I hate to see inequality. But instead, I just sighed with disappointment. The disparity in the series only mirrors what I see in English and other departments on campus, where adjuncts are not only not seen but also are often ignored.
Adjuncts are the demographic that does the grunt work of teaching. On some campuses, they make up 80% of the faculty. They don’t have job stability, are hired on a contingency basis, and are not offered fully paid healthcare (though Governor Gavin Newson has proposed $200 million to cover healthcare for Californian adjuncts).
They are also the first point of contact for most students.
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Click on this link for information on discounts and savings for union members.
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Motions Passed at E-Board Meeting, Dec. 14, 2021
Approve the minutes of Nov. 16, 2021
Donate $2,000 to Labor and Community Services Bakers Local 37 strike support
Contribute $7,200 to the L.A. Fed Annual MLK Jr. Fundraising Breakfast
Approve $36,000 for Faculty Guild Student Debt Clinic Trainer project (to hire nine trainers at 0.1 FTE for Jan. 2 through Oct. 31, 2022)
Approve the Resolution on Respecting Identity
Introduction of Faculty Guild Election Committee
Adopt the Faculty Guild 2022 Election Code
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2020-2023 LA College Faculty Guild Contract is Available |
The LA College Faculty Guild 2020-2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement in print is here! In our effort to go green, we have printed a limited number of paper copies for guild members. The PDF version of the complete contract has been available for all to download on the faculty guild website here. However, if you’d like a print version, please provide us your updated mailing address in the following form.
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