ACE Update 11.06.17: Be informed, Nov. 2017 Dues Forgiveness, ACE Officer Elections & Candidate Statements

President’s Message

Be Informed. Participate.

With officer elections and District budget town halls around the corner, now more than ever it’s imperative to be informed and participate. I’ve said this before but it is worth repeating “it takes active participation and commitment from all the members of ACE to effectively protect and serve the membership as a whole.”  Who represents you on behalf of ACE and how the District decides to address the budget shortfall will affect the work you do for Foothill-De Anza.  Fortunately, in both instances you have an opportunity to provide input and have your voice heard.

Officer elections will be held online next week, November 13-16.  There are new and familiar faces running for office and each one of them brings something unique to the table.  Please take a moment to read their candidate statement, ask them questions, and when the time comes, vote.  As a reminder,  elected positions – even uncontested ones – are put up for a vote.  Watch your email for ballot information and access.

With accreditation in the rear view mirror, the topic of budget reductions and enrollment management once again move to the top of daily conversation.  Not much has changed from those budget presentations on opening day.  Fall enrollment was soft but the loss wasn’t as great as initially believed and some of the enrollment strategies the colleges implemented, like late start classes, still need to be counted in the final enrollment picture.  What is clear is the District’s commitment to no layoffs during the 2017-18 year.  Conversations on what reductions means for 2018-19 and beyond have begun and the colleges are addressing it within their participatory governance committees. The District will be holding budget update town halls November 29 at Foothill and December 5 at De Anza. All of these are open meetings and I strongly encourage you to attend and ask questions. ACE will be there.  Can’t make a meeting? Connect with your representatives to understand what decisions are being made and how they affect you.

In Unity,

Chris White, ACE President
(650) 949-7789, office

Dues Forgiveness November 2017 Paycheck

ACE will forgive dues in your November paycheck (November 30).  For Classified Hourly employees, this will be reflected in your December 15 paycheck.

ACE Officer Elections

Elections held online Nov. 13 – 16

Watch your email for ballot information and access.

ACE Officer Candidate Statements

President

Chris White
My name is Chris White and I would like to ask for your support in re-electing me as president of ACE.  Over the past two years I have learned a lot about what ACE – its members and the organization – want and need and I have worked diligently to address them to the best of my ability. My reasons for serving remain unchanged from my first candidacy, to strengthen our contract and to strengthen the unity of our membership.

A few of the ways I have done this during my tenure,:

• Launched a classification study to better align job descriptions with the current roles and responsibilities of classified employees, develop career ladders where appropriate, and conduct a market analysis of compensation in similar or like jobs in other districts. As we move into more challenging budget times this work will prove critical if reductions need to be made.
• Worked with our negotiations team to strengthen our Agreement with new opportunities for classified members to transfer or work out of class before positions are opened to external candidates,  increased adjustments on the salary scale and reduced the time to advance between step 6 and step 7, added a paid holiday and increased funding for benefits just to name a few.
• Increased member communication through a monthly newsletter, added a review of topics as they relate to our Agreement at monthly site meetings, and partnered with the Professional Development Office at De Anza to provide training around Professional Growth Awards (PGAs), educational assistance, staff development leave, and travel and conference funding to help our members better take advantage of these negotiated benefits.
• Instituted training for stewards, negotiators and board members – ongoing and as-needed – to ensure they have the skills, knowledge and resources to make them effective advocates for our members and the organization.

But there is more work to do, including:

• Complete the classification study, which still includes a compensation study and addressing the affect on seniority, reclassification, and career growth.
• Address district and college budget reduction plans, including the use of temporary and student employees, as they relate to ACE and our members.
• Mentor new ACE leadership to take the reigns when current officers retire or move on to new opportunities so as an organization we maintain our greatest strength, our independence.

Serving as ACE President over these past two years has been the most challenging and, more importantly, the most rewarding endeavor in my career. I honestly believe together we are stronger and look forward to working with you on our future challenges.  I hope you will vote for me for President.

Vice President Central Services

Bill Baldwin
Hi — I’m Bill Baldwin from ETS, and I’m running for re-election as ACE VP of Central Services.  I have served a term as VP, and previous terms as De Anza and Central Services Chief Steward, and I intend to build on that experience.

As VP I have the responsibility of appointing ACE representatives to hiring committees.  I would like to improve that process.  This is a great opportunity to work towards Professional Growth Awards, and I’d like to make that more widely known.  I’d also like to reassure potential representatives as far as the time and commitment required to serve as an ACE rep.  It is usually quite modest; I’d like you to consider serving on a hiring committee this coming year.

I also represent ACE on the District Diversity and Equity Advisory Committee (DDEAC), which meets jointly with the HR Advisory Committee (HRAC).  In this capacity I would like to encourage you to consider training to serve as an Equal Opportunity representative on Hiring Committees.  We can all tackle equity together, eh <smile>?

I take my commitment to diversity and equity seriously, and I welcome your feedback and thoughts on the current environment at Foothill-De Anza.  I was honored last year to attend the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE).  There I participated in workshops on diversity issues and met education professionals from all over the country who are dedicated to improving opportunities in higher education.

I look forward to continuing this work if you elect me for another term as ACE Central Services VP.
Thank you!

Vice President  De Anza

Precious Gerardo
My name is Precious Gerardo and I am the Facilities and Equipment Assistant for the Physical Education and Athletics Department. I have only been full-time for 1one year, but I have been working at De Anza for the last 3 years. I am offering my experience and talents to represent De Anza classified staff with ACE as Vice President.

I know my time here at De Anza is nothing compared to the many of you who have given your lives to the mission and students of De Anza. However, thanks to the many relationships I built with my colleagues I feel I can represent classified staff moving forward. I understand De Anza has a strong sense of tradition, but also a desire to be innovative and at the top of every list. It is important to update our policies and contracts, while at the same time protect the traditions, benefits, and spirit that brought us all to De Anza.

I would appreciate your vote for me, Precious Gerardo, to serve De Anza classified staff as Vice President on the Association of Classified Employees (ACE).

Chief Steward Foothill

Art Hand
I have been volunteering to serve in this role for a long time. I continue for several reasons: one, I can remember the job description, which is simply, “to represent the workers to management.” Of the two jobs–the one they pay me to do, Library Technician, Sr., and the one I volunteer to do; Chief Steward, Foothill, it is the second that I continue to find challenging, and sometimes even rewarding. Rewarding in the sense that sometimes there’s evidence that my involvement in a situation has been to the benefit of my coworker or coworkers. That’s satisfying, and is a big part of why I continue. If I’m elected (again), I will serve. If someone else should run, and is elected, I will volunteer my services as a steward, and support that person as best I can.

Board Member De Anza

Keri Kirkpatrick
I have served on the ACE board since 2011. During my time on the board, I have learned a great deal about collective bargaining and workers’ rights, as well as our District and the community of Classified Professionals who are served by the Union. I believe that we are lucky in this District to have a strong, independent union that looks out for our best interests, and I look forward to the opportunity to continue serving as a Board Member representing De Anza.

Board Member Foothill

Christine Mangiameli
I have really enjoyed being Foothill’s ACE Board Member and ask that you vote for me again.  I continue to participate on the VEBA Board, and may be President this coming year (the vote has not taken place yet).  Work on the ACE Board is important for all classified employees, and I actively keep my ears open to all changes that affect our workplace and positions. It would be an honor to continue to represent Foothill Classified Staff.  Please vote for me.

Negotiations Update

Cathleen Monsell, Chair of Negotiations

Our current Agreement was set to expire on October 17, 2017.  As ACE is still reviewing the potential impact of the Districts budget on our members, combined with personnel changes in human resources, the District and ACE have agreed to extend our current Agreement through October 31, 2018 or until a successor Agreement is negotiated and ratified or if we reach an impasse on the negotiations, whichever comes first.

Staff Development Leave (SDL) Application Due 12/15

Staff development leaves (SDL) are intended to increase an employee’s value to the District through opportunities for research, writing, professional renewal, further education, or other experiences of professional value.  Applications for the 2018-19 academic year are due December 15, 2017.

How Common Is Staff Development Leave for Classified Staff?
Out of the 72 community college districts in California representing 114 community colleges, very few offer staff development leave for classified staff. SDL is a negotiated benefit for FHDA classified staff, and while a few other institutions offers SDL, none are as extensive as ours.

SDL Quick Overview

• Up to 10 months paid time off at 85% of full pay.
• To be eligible, you must have completed seven (7) years of service to the District.
• Applications are due December 15 of the fiscal year preceding the leave.
• The leave may be used to complete interrupted studies, learn by observing methods used in industry or other educational institutions, or get a substantial start on a goal of better education.
• During the leave the worker will be entitled to all the benefits of classified contract workers except that only 85% of service time will be credited by the Public Employees Retirement System.
• During the leave the worker shall earn 85% of the normal credit for sick leave and seniority. No vacation credit shall be earned during SDL.
• Travel and conference funds and educational assistance are available during the leave. Courses paid through educational assistance cannot be used to qualify for a Professional Growth Award (PGA).
• Classified hourly are not eligible for SDL.
• Funding for a minimum of ten (10) SDL leaves are granted annually.

The Application

• Applications for the succeeding college year must be received by the Director of Human Resources before December 15.
• Unit members may submit a copy of their request for leave without appropriate signatures by December 15; however, all signatures must be received by January 31.
• The written application must present a detailed description of the proposed activities of the leave and the potential value of these activities to the District as well as the learning outcomes that are expected from this leave.
• If the worker intends to enroll in school, the application must identify the educational institution to be attended and, by academic term, a list of courses (with course descriptions) the worker will be taking.
• The application shall contain precise dates for the beginning and ending of the leave.
• If a unit member is attending school full time, which is 12 units either semester or quarter for undergrad and 8 units, semester or quarter, for graduate, then the unit member does not have to participate in other activities related to the leave.
• If the unit member is not going to school fulltime, other activities related to the leave must be completed in fulfilling the 12-unit minimum. For this purpose, one hour of activity per week equals one unit and so forth.
• Any changes to the leave must be submitted in writing to the Director of Human Resources who will consult with the Staff Development Leave Committee, to approve such changes prior to the unit member participation in those changes.

Staff Development Committee

• This Committee shall be composed of two representatives of ACE, two representatives of CSEA, and two administrators designated by the Chancellor, one of whom will serve as chairman.For ACE, this is Denise Perez at Foothill and Chris White with ACE.
• Each application that has been submitted and has received the recommendation of the immediate supervisor and the appropriate administrator shall be forwarded to the Classified Staff Development Leave Committee for review and recommendation to the Chancellor.
• FHDA Board-approved leaves will be announced by March 1 of each year.

Returning From Staff Development Leave

• If a leave is granted, the worker must agree in writing to render, upon return from leave, a minimum of two months of service to the District for each month of staff development leave.
• Failure to render this service will require the worker to refund the salary paid by the District during the leave.
• Within thirty days of return from a leave, the worker shall submit a written report to the Classified Staff Development Leave Committee of the activities of the leave, emphasizing the value to the District and the learning outcomes achieved.
• If the worker attended school during the leave, he or she shall also submit a transcript or other appropriate documentation showing satisfactory attendance and successful completion of the course work as soon as reasonably possible.

Classification Study: Reminder

by Chris White, ACE President

We are waiting for the draft classification descriptions from the consultants which should be ready for review in November. Staff will have an opportunity to provide feedback in this process.

The preliminary information provided by the consultants at a Sept. 13 meeting was very promising. The four main themes from their work include: consolidating classifications which do the same work; title changes to more accurately reflect the current market; creation and/or elimination of classifications to reflect the work currently being done or not being done; and establishment of career ladders where applicable.  The Joint Labor Management Classification Committee (JLMCC) meets later this month to negotiate the effects of any changes to the classification structure, like combining classifications and what it means for seniority, etc.  We won’t address the compensation portion until the consultants have agreement from us on the content of the classification descriptions.

Reminders:

1. We have already agreed with the district that NO ONE will go down, in pay or classification, as result of the consultants findings.  Read that again.  One more time and pass it on.
2. Classifications are generalized and not every word from the PDQs will be on the final classification description. Positions and classification are two words that are often thought of as interchangeable; but in fact have very different meanings.  In a classification plan, a position is assigned a group of duties and responsibilities performed by one person. A classification may contain only one position, or may consist of a number positions.  When there are several positions assigned to one classification, it means the same title is appropriate for each position because the scope, level, duties, and responsibilities of each position assigned to the classification are sufficiently similar (but not necessarily identical); the same core knowledge, skills, and other requirements are appropriate for all positions; and the same salary range is equitable for all positions.
3. The goals for this project:  To align job descriptions with the current roles and responsibilities of classified employees, create career ladders were appropriate, and conduct a market analysis of compensation in similar or like jobs in other districts.
4. Authority:  A Joint Labor Management Classification Committee (JLMCC) was established to negotiate this process. Representing ACE are Cathleen Monsell, chair of negotiations, Chris White, ACE president, and Bradley Booth, attorney for ACE.  Representing the District are Myisha Washington from human resources, Lisa Mandy, De Anza administrator, and Kevin Harral, Foothill administrator.  Neither side has more authority and the consultants report to the committee.  ACE and the District mutually agreed to the selection of Koff & Associates after independent research and reference checks.