Stay Vigilant and "Schedule Smart" |
|
Now that the dust has settled in our local elections, we celebrate our victories – particularly the successful election of our four Guild-endorsed trustees. We’re disappointed about the outcome of Propositions 15 and 16, making us all the more aware that we’re “a blue state but not a blue collar state,” as noted by a colleague at the L.A. County Federation of Labor after reviewing the outcome of several propositions on the November ballot.
During these unprecedented times, the Guild also made significant advances in contract negotiations. Now that we are working to implement the new language (our wins), we need you, our members, to let your chapter presidents know where the language works and where it doesn’t. Communicate with us if language needs clarification.
|
|
In Unity,
Joanne Waddell
AFT 1521 President
|
|
While much of the recently concluded election focused on the presidential race, the four Guild-endorsed candidates elected to the LACCD Board of Trustees got a boost from AFT 1521's Colleges We All Deserve campaign. With faculty, students, and interns leading the way, the campaign was a huge success.
Interest was electric. The campaign logged a total of 671 shifts covering 52 phone banks, making over 200,000 calls and sending more than 1 million texts, making it one of the most active labor campaigns in Los Angeles. For the final Get-Out-The-Vote push, faculty and students trained to be Phone Bank Captains and led the operations, allowing the campaign to hold 19 phone banks over just four days.
AFT 1521 would like to give a shout-out to all of the dedicated Phone Bank Captains: Faculty members Angel Belden, Jonathon Klyng, Givan Alonzi; students Courtney Azari and Rose Rosales; and AFT 1521 student interns Montserrat Venegas, Richard Salazar, Kayleigh Morrisey, Doneisha Bradley, and Mayzie Angel.
“By recruiting hundreds of members and students to participate and to take leadership roles, we built and developed our political capacity as an organization” said Guild Organizing Director Chase Golding. “The Faculty Guild will continue our fight for the Colleges We All Deserve through the union's upcoming campaigns and ongoing work to promote equity and justice on our campuses and in our communities.”
|
|
The Faculty Guild Campaign - How We Won |
|
By Natalina Monteiro
Guild Political Director
The Faculty Guild campaign to elect trustees in 2020 started in 2017. Scott Svonkin had bullied himself into a third consecutive term as Board President and used the power of his presidency to take away our $1500 Health Reimbursement Account (HRA), harming every full-time employee in the LACCD. He fought against us and opposed our contract that year, so we began searching for a good candidate who could beat him, a woman we could work with and who would address the many critical issues that Svonkin ignored or made worse.
The 21 members of the Committee on Political Education (COPE), including two Staff Guild reps, interviewed most of the dozens of candidates who came to us seeking endorsement. COPE recommended, and the Executive Committee agreed, to endorse incumbents Andra Hoffman, David Vela, and Mike Fong, based on these Trustees’ performance, including supporting our contracts, providing our $1500 HRA, a maximum class size of 42, COLA, paying for Medicare Part B, and lobbying in Sacramento. Above all, their doors are always open to hear our ideas and positions. Actions speak louder than words.
|
|
AFIC Chair Takes Committee in a New Direction |
Dr. Jessica Saint-Paul has served on the Guild’s Adjunct Faculty Issues Committee (AFIC) for 2½ years. As the AFIC’s current chair, she is excited to be taking the committee in new directions.
“As the adjunct arm of the union, we’re reaching out to our chapter presidents so that they understand our issues,” she says. “We’re also making sure that adjunct faculty know their rights.”
|
Discounts for Union Members |
Visit the new Union Plus website to learn all about the services and benefits available to working men and women and their families.
Services include including pandemic hardship assistance, credit card services and the Union Plus Mortgage Program.
|
|
Help for Adjunct Faculty Filing for Unemployment
The Guild’s EDD Ombudsperson, Anthony Amey, has created a tutorial to provide adjunct faculty with information on filing for unemployment insurance: EDD_UI_Workshop091120
Amey is also holding LIVE Zoom meetings on the second Friday of each month at 5 pm through January:
Friday, Dec. 11
5 pm (1hr)
Friday, January 8, 2021
5 pm (1hr)
(323) 684-5404.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
