ACE Members,
Retro COLA + Longevity February EOM (End of Month)
HR confirmed that 5 months (July thru November) of our negotiated 3% salary increase + longevity increase will be included in February EOM paychecks and in March mid-month paychecks. Thank you again to our negotiations team. Anticipate more activity in February as we begin the process of determining which articles to open for the next round. Articles 8 (Pay) and 18 (Benefits) are always opened along with two additional articles based on the will of the membership. The District also gets the opportunity to open two articles.
Board of Trustees Meeting “Temporary” Employees
ACE alerted the Board of Trustees that District practices were once again violating Ed Code 88003.(c) (LINK) by employing short-term employees prior to a regularly scheduled board meeting and their service being needed on a continuing bases. Currently we’re waiting for HR to report back on the specifics of that work as part of an informal meeting in the first step of the grievance process.
Staff Development Leave Update
For this year’s group of applicants, signatures are due by January 31st – and HR should have reached out to you if they have not been received.
For past year’s group(s) of applicants, reports are due – and HR should be reaching out if they have not been received:
After reviewing the report, the Classified Staff Development Leave Committee shall either approve the report or request further information from the worker. If, after requesting further information from the worker the Classified Staff Development Leave Committee is unable to establish that the worker satisfied the conditions of the leave, the committee may, if it determines it is appropriate, after considering possible mitigating circumstances, recommend to the Associate Vice Chancellor, Human Resources that the worker be required to compensate the District for the expense of the leave. The decision of the committee may be reviewed by the Chancellor at the request of the worker.
It was explained by the committee that due to HR turnover there hasn’t been an Associate Vice Chancellor that has requested these reports as a part of the usual HR process. Look for emails from Tony Brown or Christine Hsu.
Central Services Board Member Appointed – Victoria Dinh 👏
Thank you to @Victoria Dinh for joining the ACE Executive Board on behalf of Central Services members. Victoria has been with the District for 10 years and is located in the Foundation Office.
Bill Rawlings Nominated to California Community Colleges Board of Governors
About the BOG (LINK):
The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges provides leadership and policy for the largest system of higher education in the nation. Some of its responsibilities include adopting Title 5 regulations, providing strategic guidance through initiatives like the Vision 2030 framework, overseeing the Chancellor’s Office, and allocating funding and grants to the 73 districts and 116 colleges that make up the California Community Colleges.
As outlined in Education Code 71000, the Board consists of 18 members: 12 public members (two of whom must be trustees), the Lieutenant Governor, two faculty members, two students, and one classified employee.
The classified employee role serves as an independent representative of the classified employee perspective (Education Code 71003). This position is nominated by exclusive representatives of classified employees (Education Code 71000(d))
About Bill:
During my tenure on the Board of Governors, I have worked tirelessly to advocate for classified employees while maintaining the independence necessary to fulfill my statutory responsibilities. Highlights of my work include:
- Leadership: I am the first classified employee to serve as Vice President of the Board of Governors, a position to which I have been unanimously elected twice by my colleagues. I am also the first classified employee to have served as Chair of the California Workforce Pathways Joint Advisory Committee, which facilitates the implementation and alignment of Career Technical Education programs across California’s TK-12 schools and community colleges.
- Advocacy: I successfully worked to protect classified jobs in Title 5 regulation changes, strengthened classified representation Chancellor’s Office participatory governance committees, and ensured that technological changes would be focused on enhancing our work, not replacing our work.
- Collaboration: I have consistently engaged with a wide variety of stakeholders to ensure classified employees’ perspectives were represented in decisions affecting funding formulas, AI policies, and collective bargaining concerns.
Given the importance of maintaining this seat as an independent voice for all classified employees, I respectfully request that the Association of Classified Employees consider submitting my name as a nominee for the Governor’s consideration. Your support would help ensure that classified employees continue to have a strong, independent advocate on the Board of Governors.
This is our first time participating in the nomination process. We can make it a part of our organizational practice in the future if members are interested in serving in roles at the State. Expect upcoming meetings or townhalls to get information from Bill about how we can amplify our voice as classified employees in policy and decision making.
More to come. Please attend an upcoming site meeting.
In Service,
Scott Olsen (he/him) | ACE President
https://acefhda.org | scott.olsen@acefhda.org
650-949-7789 | M-F 8:30am-5:00pm