ACE Members,
Negotiated COLA Approved by Membership Vote
Results of the ACE membership vote to approve the 1.07% negotiated COLA were sent to Pat Hyland and Marietta Harris. The remaining bargaining units are going through the same approval process and the hope is to have the salary increase included in end of October paychecks.
ALWAYS CHECK YOUR PAYSTUB! The COLA will include a retroactive salary payment going back to July 1st of this year. Retro pay calculations create the potential for overpayment or underpayment. Human Resources staff does an excellent job with many special payment situations but pobody is nerfect. If you are notified that you have either been overpaid or underpaid, contact ACE to help you understand options available to you.
Thank you to our colleagues in Human Resources, Accounts Payable, Payroll, and Technology Services for their work on implementing the Cost of Living Allowance.
2024-2025 Budgeted Dues Forgiveness
For the upcoming fiscal year, the ACE Executive Board approved a budget which includes four months of dues forgiveness in October and November 2024, plus April and May 2025. Why four months? Interest rates have been much higher than in previous years and generated a month’s worth of member dues. Thank you to ACE Treasurer, Kathy Nguyen, for seeking out high yield returns and making the most of funds we have set aside for a strike fund, litigation, reserves, and ongoing expenses. In addition to the impact of interest rates, our hardworking ACE Executive Board and Negotiators chose not to collect available stipends set aside for union work.
ACE is an independent business that operates to serve members. We are not seeking to earn profits, so when there is an amount beyond what is needed for representation, it is returned to members. This has been true since ACE’s inception.
Bilingual Pay Pilot Program Tracking Guidance
Keep track of each occurrence when you provide bilingual services. For this pilot program to succeed and grow, we need data to support that there is a need, and our services have an impact. This can be as simple as keeping tally marks on a piece of paper:
- # of student requests for bilingual services.
- # of manager requests for bilingual services.
- Summary of the impact of services provided.
Ultimately we would like to deliver messages at the end of each quarter from members that say:
“My name is Scott Olsen. I work as an Administrative Assistant. During fall quarter I was approached by 400 students and my manager asked 50 times for me to provide bilingual services in Spanish. The product of this work allowed students to enroll, find available classes, and receive translations of necessary department forms and policies.”
Foothill Chief Steward Needed
Please email olsenscott@fhda.edu by the end of the day on Friday 9/20 if you are interested in being considered for appointment to the Foothill Chief Steward Position. You would serve the remainder of the elected term through Dec 31st, 2025.
What does a chief steward do? Section 5.3 of our constitution covers the duties of a Steward:
- Duties of the Chief Stewards
1) Chair the Stewards Council and report activities of stewards to the executive board in closed session.
2) Be responsible for recruiting stewards and presenting candidates to the executive board for approval. - Duties of the Chief Stewards and Steward(s)
1) Represent their respective jurisdiction in all membership meetings in the absence of the members.
2) Be the first line of contact with administrative or supervisory staff subject to this Constitution.
3) Be responsible for the enforcement of all applicable collective bargaining agreements in their respective jurisdictions.
4) Be responsible for holding management accountable for all applicable safety and occupational health laws, rules and regulations, and are responsible for notifying appropriate administrative or supervisory staff of unsafe working conditions.
5) Shall have copies of the Constitution and all necessary working agreements available at all times.
Stewardship requires subordination of personal interests to those interests that represent the highest good of the members. Stewards shall have no greater rights than any other member of the ACE.
Source: https://acefhda.org/about-us/constitution/
Janie Garcia Appointed Steward at Foothill
Thank you to Janie Garcia for stepping up to serve as a steward for Foothill. Two steward positions are available in each branch of ACE (Foothill, De Anza, and Central Services) and coordinate with the chief steward at each site to address member needs in representing members under the terms of our collective bargaining agreement. If you’re already supporting your colleagues unofficially, why not do so in an official capacity and get connected with a larger support network? Have a conversation with your chief steward about becoming a steward.
Opening Day ACE Table (w/Cookies)
During District Opening Day on Wednesday, we’ll have a table with ACE membership applications and cookies. Drop by if you have a new colleague or questions of your own. Our independent labor union continues to do a fantastic job of keeping benefits rates affordable, seeking cost of living increases, and improving our agreement based on member feedback. We’re all better off because we’re well organized and able to make progress on issues that impact our lives as members.
In Solidarity,
Scott Olsen (he/him) | ACE President
https://acefhda.org | scott.olsen@acefhda.org
650-949-7789 | M-F 8:00am-5:00pm