ACE Members,
President’s Message
Thank you to our ACE Vice Presidents (Alan Nguyen, Lisa Ly, and Phuong Tran) for work on our latest site meetings, plus Helen Graves and Stacey Carrasco for sharing Professional Growth Award information with members. Updated PGA documents are available on our website – https://acefhda.org/forms/ – and the presentation will occur again on Classified Professional Development Day.
This Friday (2/6) and next Friday (2/13) I’ll be unavailable while on sick leave. Please contact a steward or representative – https://acefhda.org/executive-board/executive-board-members/ – we are fortunate to have a dedicated team of colleagues who are equally capable and enthusiastic about meeting the needs of members.
Our attorney, @Anthony Booth, is also available directly if you have a serious concern or question.
… and don’t forget to floss regularly.
Feb 2nd Board of Trustees Meeting Resolution
The Board of Trustees voted to approve resolution no. 2026-06 titled “Prohibiting the Use of District Facilities for Federal Immigration Enforcement” (LINK), which includes the following language:
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that District-owned or District-controlled facilities, including parking lots, garages, and open spaces, are for the sole purpose of conducting Foothill-De Anza Community College District business, which does not include civil immigration enforcement.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that District employees who become aware of any attempt to use District facilities for civil immigration enforcement purposes must report it immediately to the College President’s Office, the District Chancellor’s Office, and to the District Police Department.
This was developed by the District in response to recent activity at Santa Barbara Community College (LINK) and in advance of potential increased enforcement surrounding “Superb Owl” activities. Efforts to ease anxiety in our workplace and among our surrounding community are appreciated. Neighboring cities like San Jose and Santa Clara have recently passed similar resolutions.
Sick Leave Donation Response 💖
The outpouring of support and quick response to a member request for sick leave donation was touching to collect. The maximum allowance of sick leave was collected, and we wish Teresa a speedy recovery.
Preferred Name Use
Human Resources and the Board of Trustees were made aware of the following legal analysis by Anothony Booth being provided to Human Resources:
California law allows employees to use a name at work that’s different from their legal name, and employers are required to respect an employee’s preferred name. There’s case law backing this up as well; courts have recognized that a person can use any name they’re known by, including in professional settings, (see Cabrera v. McMullen, 204 Cal. App. 3d 1, In re Ritchie, 159 Cal. App. 3d 1070).
Also, California requires employers to respect an employee’s preferred name, gender, and pronouns, including gender-neutral pronouns, unless the use of the legal name is necessary to meet a legally mandated obligation. If an employer fails to abide by an employee’s stated preferences it may be held liable under anti-discrimination laws. § 11034. Terms, Conditions, and Privileges of Employment, California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).
Reach out to human resources staff if you would like to use a preferred professional public-facing first or last name other than your legal name. Internally for benefits, payroll, and human resources a legal name is required, but email addresses, business cards, name tags, and websites should all be capable of displaying a preferred name.
Substitute/Short-term Employees
The District and both Colleges have traditionally had a loose interpretation or completely ignored our CBA(LINK) and Ed Code 88003(LINK). Roughly temporary employees can be used in the following situations:
“Substitute”
- Backfill an absence.
- Backfill a vacancy up to 90 days (can be extended with mutual agreement).
“Short term”
Note: Prior to hiring, board approval is required + description of duties (special project or assignment) + ending date of service.
- Work on a special project/assignment upon completion, the service required or similar services will not be extended or needed on a continuing basis.
- Seasonal work = Not more than 6 weeks.
- Intermittent work = Not more than 45 days.
- Allied Health assistant work.
“Student”
Cannot displace classified staff – intended to be assistants, not to be left to operate departments unattended.
(We likely need a board policy(BP) on student employment – does not appear on HR Board Report)
Attached to this message are the two most recent HR Board Reports with questionable (highlighted) project/notes for T3 and T7 temporary employees:
https://acefhda.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1.12.26-HR-Board-Report-Action-Items.pdf
https://acefhda.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2.2.26-HR-Board-Report-Action-Items.xlsm.pdf
T3 – Short-Term Special Project: Used for one-time, non-recurring projects that are not needed on a continuing basis. Assignments must have a defined scope and end date and require Governing Board approval prior to employment. Special projects may span multiple fiscal years provided the employee does not work seventy-five percent (75%) or more of the college year in any given year. A single requisition and Board approval may cover a multi-year special project, provided the project scope and end date are clearly defined. Departments are responsible for monitoring workdays to ensure the employee does not exceed seventy-five percent (75%) of the college year in any given year. Example: system implementation, grant setup
Source: https://hr.fhda.edu/_top.html
On the January report, what is special about, “Provides a variety of office support for an assigned program, department, or division, which may include word processing, data entry and organization, telephone and counter reception, document processing, mail processing, record keeping, and filing; provides information and assistance to students, faculty, staff, and the general public; and performs related duties as assigned.”?
- When does that work end?
- How is it not needed on a continuing basis?
- Doesn’t that look like an ACE classification?
T7 – Short-Term Seasonal: Used for seasonal work that occurs during defined periods within a college year and is not needed year-round. Seasonal assignments may recur in successive years for the same type of work, provided the assignment remains seasonal in nature and complies with the seventy-five percent (75%) rule. Board approval is required prior to employment. Each seasonal period constitutes a separate short-term assignment and requires an approved requisition and Governing Board approval prior to the start of work for that season. Example: athletic season assistants, enrollment surge support
Similarly on the February report there are two people who look as though they are fulfilling the role of our Laboratory Technician, Photography (LINK) description…
Grievance timelines are on hold while awaiting a response from Human Resources clarifying the appropriateness of the temporary employees who appear as though they are sitting in positions which would fall within an ACE classification. This report regularly appears late on a Thursday or Friday prior to Monday night’s meeting. It’s a repeated pain point which is contributing to a twitch in my eye.
(Expect an additional upcoming rant about the importance of scrutinizing these HR Reports as part of a future update.)
FHDA CCD Students & Staff 5% Off Grocery Discount Program Active
As part of an effort to solicit benefits for union members, we reached out to Safeway about their “students & staff discount program” and now the benefit is there for everyone though the Safeway phone app and/or their website. Below are screenshots of the original sign at a local store for Santa Clara University and a walk-through of how to sign up:
- “To take advantage of these discounts, please advise the eligible individuals to log in to their Safeway accounts via website or the mobile app and navigate to: My Account > Member > Profile & Preferences > Discount Programs”.
- Upload a photo of a current employee id card. Members may receive an automated approval within as little as 20 minutes.
Employer 👏 of 👏 choice 👏 – our union delivers 😎✊
Staff with .edu email accounts may be eligible for additional “teacher” discounts here (LINK) but once per quarter we can likely commit an hour to pester a business supplying a basic need or utility for a discount.
Currently another active discount we’re aware of is through T-Mobile (LINK).
In Service,
Scott Olsen (he/him) | ACE President
https://acefhda.org | scott.olsen@acefhda.org
650-949-7789 | M-F 8:30am-5:00pm
My question:
Comments: I work for Foothill-De Anza Community College District and would like to know how to establish a student and staff discount at Safeway locations near the two colleges. I also represent the staff as union president – see acefhda.org – let me know how we would enroll in a program similar to Santa Clara University, Stanford, and UCSF.
Albertson’s Corporate’s response:
Hello Scott,
Thank you for reaching out to us. I hope this message finds you well.
I understand that you are interested in establishing a student and staff discount program for Safeway locations near the Foothill-De Anza Community College District. After reviewing our records, it appears that the Foothill-De Anza Community College District is already included among the institutions eligible for student and staff discounts.
To take advantage of these discounts, please advise the eligible individuals to log in to their Safeway accounts via website or the mobile app and navigate to: My Account > Member > Profile & Preferences > Discount Programs.
If you have any further questions or require additional assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Thank you for shopping at Albertsons!
Lester
Customer Support Team
23702381
Sometimes all you have to do is ask 🤷 the worst they can say is, “no.”