ACE Members,
Joining ACE
If you have a new colleague or a seasoned colleague who has yet to join, the process is described at the top of our website: Become a member today by returning a completed Membership Application Form (LINK) to olsenscott@fhda.edu .
- When can a new employee join? On the very first day of employment (probationary employees are immediately eligible).
- Can TEAs/Temporary Employees join? No. Per Ed Code they are unrepresented and not eligible for provisions under our Agreement.
- Why do you need existing members to know this information? There are a lot of places union reps can’t access, many employees work remotely or do not attend the orientation meeting with Human Resources where we provide an introduction to ACE. Sometimes it takes a co-worker in the space to speak to the value the union provides: a collective voice that advances, protects, and advocates for wages, working conditions, and benefits.
April is also a dues forgiveness month – no union dues will be collected from April end-of-month and May mid-month paychecks. When we have enough to pay our bills and provide for representation, we don’t charge members. Typically this has occurred at least twice per year since ACE’s inception and we didn’t charge dues for an entire year during the pandemic. Our member-driven independent labor organizations does great things due to active participation and a collective effort.
Pre-Retirement Contract Reduction – Article 17B
Written requests are due no later than May 1st to reduce your contact from full-time to part-time while maintaining retirement benefits pursuant to Ed Code Section 88038 and Government Code Section 209005 for up to 5 years prior to retirement.
Who’s eligible? You must:
- Be age 55 prior to the reduction in contact;
- Have been employed full-time for at least 10 years in a classified position; and
- Have served full-time without a break in service during the preceding 5 years.
What does the request look like? Here’s an example:
To: (Manager/Supervisor)
Cc: @Tony Brown; @Christine Hsu
Subject: (ACE) Article 17B Pre-Retirement Contract Reduction
Body: Pursuant to ACE CBA Article 17B I am requesting to reduce my contract from 100% to 80% for the next 5 years effective July 1st 2026. My proposed schedule is 8:30am-5pm, M-TH (4 days per week).
Contributions to CalPERS and medical benefit contribution rates remain the same as if you had continued full-time.
Questions? Reach out to a steward:
@Andre Meggerson (De Anza), @Jeff Dickard (De Anza), @Janie Garcia (Foothill), @Cynthia Huang (Foothill)
CalPERS Service Credit Purchase Instructions
We’ve had a number of former temporary employees join us as full-time employees. You may be eligible to purchase service credit if you worked for a CalPERS-covered employer before you became a CalPERS member. CalPERS has a number of resources on the topic, but the process begins with them:
- From “A Guide to Your CalPERS Service Credit Purchase Options” (LINK):
To request your service credit electronically, log in to your myCalPERS account at https://my.calpers.ca.gov/
On the home page under Service Credit, select Make a Service Credit Purchase - Depending on the type of service credit you are requesting, certification may be required
If certification is needed from an employer or reciprocal agency, you and the agency will be notified electronically The agency will have 30 days to provide the required certification to CalPERS
Per Payroll:
- Once the request is received in CalPERS, HR validates the employment & position data in the request (if there are errors, it will be rejected) and Payroll completes the pay history by month and HR finishes off with certification within 30 days upon the member’s request.
More Information:
CalPERS Quick Tip | Service Credit Purchase (YouTube LINK)
CalPERS Service Credit (YouTube LINK)
CalPERS Service Credit Cost Estimator (LINK)
For those that have taken a leave of absence, you may also be eligible to purchase service credit. Use cost estimator link above to see if the leave type (maternity/parental, education, service, sabbatical, serious illness.) you’ve taken qualifies.
April Board of Trustees Meeting
Bond-funded building projects at De Anza were on the agenda. Plans for the newer (smaller) $44mil Creative Arts building were presented. Plans for a $55mil Services for Students building are still pending. An update was also provided regarding the County Mobile Medical Facility with tentatively will be located in Lot B.
In 2023 a feasibility study was conducted to determine the market demand for a revenue generating event space: Presentation (LINK) | Meeting Item (LINK). It concluded with what we already knew from the Flint Center usage, the market does not exist for a large event space. There was some trustee discussion of the lack of a flashy new gathering/event space aside from VPAC and Conference Room A+B at De Anza.
Chancellor Lambert mentioned planning an upcoming event for the large retiree class. Details to come.
President’s Message (Again)
Next week (Monday through Wednesday) I will be out of the office and unavailable to respond to emails/texts. Reach out to a steward or our labor attorney with any questions.
There’s an EEO Training Today (April 10) at 11am, Friday (April 17) at 9:30am, and Friday (April 24) at 10am. See the full schedule here (LINK). This training is required to serve on hiring committees and also great information to be aware of for applicants.
Important reminder to union reps on committees – advocate for internal candidates who meet minimum qualifications. Per CBA 7.5:
b. District workers shall receive “first consideration” for promotional positions. All internal applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a position will be granted an interview; this is “first consideration.” The parties also agree to explore practical methods of encouraging internal recruitment that foster promotional opportunities and staff advancement and that are consistent with the District’s commitment to high quality, equal opportunity and diversity.
In Service,
Scott Olsen (he/him) | ACE President
https://acefhda.org | scott.olsen@acefhda.org
650-949-7789 | M-F 8:30am-5:00pm