ACE News

President’s Message

Unanswered Questions

Fall quarter starts with a lot of unanswered questions. How does the new funding formula from the state impact Foothill-De Anza (FHDA)? When will we hear specific information regarding layoffs? Where does the work go?  How does our classification study affect this? How can I help? Hint: run for office.

The new funding formula from the state which focuses on student success and access, and includes a few years of hold-harmless funding, adds a few million to our revenue but also assumes stable enrollment (we’re still declining). It does not change the fact that we must cut $12.6 million from our expenses by June 30, 2019.  You can review the District’s 2018-2019 adopted here.

The colleges and central service must submit their list of reductions to district senior staff by the beginning of November.  How the colleges choose to share that information with their constituents prior to that deadline is up to them but it comes at a cost.  The Supplemental Retirement Plan (SRP) offered by the District to eligible employees adds a layer of uncertainty to this timeline. With an application deadline of 5 p.m. on November 2, the FHDA Board of Trustees will decide whether to move forward with the SRP at their December 14 meeting. If approved, depending on who applied for it will change those initial reduction lists. Add in bumping and things can change fast.

In terms of transparency, should senior staff publicly share a best guess reduction list prior to notifying potentially affected staff?  We’ve tried that in past budget reductions – this is my fourth in 18 years – and the level anxiety and anger it created was unnecessary and cruel. Does submitting reduction plans without providing specific position information thwart transparency in the shared governance process? I would argue no. It is when those decisions can’t be explained that anger and distrust of the decision makers manifest itself, leaving a lingering effect for years. Shared governance provides a process for employees to make recommendations to the college presidents and chancellor. They are the ones who are ultimately responsible for, and should be able to explain, their final decisions.

If senior staff choose to notify potentially affected workers prior to publicizing their targeted reductions, per our Agreement Article 11.4, they are also required to provide an affected employee a statement of their bumping rights. We won’t have all this information until after we know what happens with the SRP and the District and ACE have independently reviewed seniority for the proposed positions. We have the opportunity to make a more informed decision by waiting a couple more months when we have all of the facts. At best, that looks like the end of January.

Which leaves the age old question, where does the work go? Under Article 11, the basic rules for layoff are that the no one can do overtime to replace the work, some of the work can be re-distributed to other ACE members, but assuming they already have a 40-hour work week, something must be taken away as no one outside ACE can do the work after the position is eliminated.  This means every department suffering a loss must reorganize itself, reset priorities or simply do without. Management gets to determine what those priorities will be.  ACE ”s responsibility is to meet and confer with the District regarding any classification changes or reorganization due to layoff. We have very dedicated staff who worry that students will be impacted if they don’t take on the extra work, often at the expense of their well-being. Sometimes, the collective we  – a byproduct of shared governance – needs to feel the weight of decisions being made. Nothing brings about change faster than vocal students who can’t get the services the want. To remind the FHDA Board of Trustees about the impact of these choices, members of the ACE Executive Board and negotiators will be meeting with them over the next couple of months to provide personalized accounts and ask them to be critical when reductions are brought before them for approval.

The other factor is the classification study.  We have received final classification descriptions for those who did not approve the initial draft recommendations and they will go out later this week. All of work around classification descriptions should be finalized by the end of October. See below for the consultants responses to some frequently asked questions. The compensation study portion comes after classification descriptions are finalized and it should move quickly. Depending on the timing, we still need to negotiate how the study is implemented, particularly if we’ve already started the layoff notification process.

On top of all of this, we still need to conduct the business of ACE. Representation at the bargaining table, and with individual members, requires money and people willing to step up and serve.  Reaffirming your membership, attending site meetings, voting, and running for office are all ways that you can make a difference.  Officer and negotiator elections will occur in late October with general membership/nomination meetings October 9 & 10. You should consider running.

The bottom line? There are still too many unanswered questions to make an informed decisions on what positions will be eliminated, where the work goes, how the classification study impacts those decisions and who will help guide ACE moving forward.. What can you do? Take action where you can (run for office), attend budget town halls, shared governance and ACE meetings, ask questions, and be kind, always.

Of service,

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

“The fight is never about lettuce or grapes.  It is always about people”. – César Chávez

5% Temporary Salary Adjustment in October Paycheck

With the Banner update, the 5% temporary salary adjustment will begin in your October paycheck with retro pay for July, August and September.

General Membership & Officer/Negotiator Nomination Meetings

Please join us at our annual general membership and officer/negotiator nomination meeting.
Details in outlook invite.

  De Anza      Foothill

   Tues., Oct. 9      Wed., Oct. 10
Conference Room A      Toyon Room

Noon – 1 p.m. • Pizza is served

Please note:  ACE general membership and site meetings are open to ACE members only.

ACE Officer & Negotiator Elections

Nominations accepted October 3 – 15
Elections held online October 29 – November 2

It takes active participation and commitment from all the members of a union to effectively protect and serve the membership as a whole. We hope you will consider contributing your time and talent and run for office. Elective stipends are provided to officers for their work on behalf of ACE.  A member is eligible to be a candidate if they are a non-probationary, permanent, classified employee in the District and is a member of ACE for one (1) full year.  The following positions are up for election.

• Treasurer
• Vice President– Foothill
• Chief Stewards – De Anza & Central Services
• Board Members – De Anza/Seat 2 & Central Services
• Negotiators – One from each location and three at large (six total)

ACE Officers: Terms are two years in length and run from January 1, 2019  through December 30, 2020.   All executive board members are required to:

• Attend ACE board meetings held the 2^nd Wednesday of every month from 1-2:30 p.m. They rotate between the two campuses.
• Attend the site meeting for the campus they represent. At De Anza, these are held the 1^st Tuesday of the month; At Foothill, these are held the 3^rd Tuesday of the month. Both meetings are from noon – 1 p.m.

ACE Negotiators:  Terms is three years in length and runs from November 1, 2018 through October 31. 2021.

• Must attend all planning and negotiations meetings unless absence is excused by the chair of the team or the majority of the team. Meeting time varies during active negotiations but usually no more than 10 hours a month.

Ongoing steward training is provided quarterly and open to all board members.  Board member and negotiator training provided as needed.

All positions require subordination of personal interests to those that represent the highest good of the members.  No officer shall have greater rights than any other member of ACE.

Submit nominations by October 15 to the ACE Recorder, Shawna Santiago.
Email:            SantiagoShawna@fhda.edu
Hard copy:    ACE mailbox, Foothill or De Anza

Treasurer: This position is done in addition to the incumbents permanent FHDA job. Release time is provided to attend to ACE business and requires a time commitment of approximately 10 hours per month. An elective stipend of $150 per month is provided.

1. The treasurer shall present the Executive Board’s recommended annual budget at the general membership meeting immediately following the Board’s creation of the budget for approval by the members. The recorder shall post the budget on the ACE website. Members can bring concerns regarding the budget at any time to the Board at the next board meeting.
2. The treasurer shall receive ACE money and deposit all money so received in the name of ACE to a financial institution selected by the Executive Board.
3. Money so deposited shall be withdrawn only by authorization or direction of the president and treasurer after such expenditures are approved by the Board.
4. The treasurer shall disburse ACE funds for such purposes as required by this constitution or authorized by the membership or the Board.
5. The treasurer shall keep and accurately record receipts and disbursements.
6. The treasurer shall also submit to the Executive Board a monthly operating statement that contains records of ACE’s financial transactions since the previous report.
7. The treasurer shall further arrange an annual audit of ACE finances as approved by the Executive Board, and shall report to the Board the results of such annual audit at the first Board meeting after the audit is made.\
8. The treasurer shall adhere to legal reporting requirements and arrange preparation and filing of all required federal and state tax reporting forms.
9. The treasurer shall present to the Executive Board a budget for the next year after closing of the fiscal year.

Vice President:  This position is done in addition to the incumbents permanent FHDA job. Release time is provided to attend to ACE business and requires a time commitment of approximately 10 hours per month. An elective stipend of $200 per month is provided.

1. Upon approval of the Board, the vice presidents may be authorized to approve expenditures withdrawn on ACE funds in place of either the president or treasurer, and shall perform such other duties as assigned by the President or the Executive Board.
2. The vice presidents shall serve on the College Council, PARC, College Budget committees and other District committees as assigned.
3. The vice presidents shall hold and facilitate site meetings each month at their respective sites.
4. The vice presidents shall assign ACE representatives to hiring committees for classified workers in Unit 1 for their respective areas.

Chief Steward:  This position is done in addition to the incumbents permanent FHDA job.  Release time is provided to attend to ACE business and the time commitment varies. An elective stipend of $250 per month is provided.

a. 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.

b.   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.

Board Member: This position is done in addition to the incumbents permanent FHDA job.  Release time is provided to attend to ACE business and requires a time commitment of approximately 8 hours per month.  An elective stipend of $125 per month is provided.

1. Ensure that the interests and directives of the general membership are represented at board meetings.
2. Serve on two (2) College or District Committees pertinent to ACE business and report back to the Board. De Anza – Finance & College Operations Planning & Budget Team.Foothill – Voluntary Employees Benefit Association – VEBA Trust.
3. Attend the Classified Senate meeting at each location. At least one board member from each site should attend, but two (2) members should not serve on the same Senate.

ACE Negotiator:  This position is done in addition to the incumbents permanent FHDA job.  Release time is provided to attend to ACE business and requires a time commitment of approximately 10 hours per month during active negotiations. An elective stipend of $400 per month is provided for the Negotiations Chair (chosen by the negotiators by secret ballot after a new team is selected), and $100 per month for negotiator.

1. Term is three years, November 1, 2018 through October 31, 2021.
2. There are six (6) positions open and the negotiations team must be comprised of one member from De Anza, one member from Foothill, and one member from Central Services. The remaining three positions may be from any location.

ACE Travel and Conference Funding 2018-2019

For 2018-2019, the annual $40,000 allocation for travel and conference – $20,000 for De Anza, $12,000 for Foothill and $8,000 for Central Services – will go quickly. All travel and conference funds carried forward from past years were depleted in 2017-2018.  To ensure equitable funding throughout the year, funds may be divided across the three quarters and summer session. Please check you campus travel and conference website for application requirements and status of funds.

De Anza | Foothill | Central Services

Classification Study – Update & FAQ Classification

by Koff and Associates

Final Classification Descriptions
If you already approved the initial draft classification description and returned Koff’s form indicating approval, you’re done for now.  If you submitted questions or concerns with your draft classification description, Koff has returned their final classification review based on the feedback from you and your supervisor.  They will be distributed this week, and if there are still concerns, one-on-one conversations with Koff will be available Thursday, October 18 and Friday, October 19.  Details will be included with your final classification recommendation.  Once the classification descriptions are finalized, Koff will conduct the compensation portion of the study.

Position Analysis and Outcomes
When positions are classified, the focus is on assigned job duties and the job-related requirements for successful performance, not on individual employee capabilities or amount of work performed.  Positions are evaluated based on allocation factors.  Allocation factors are standards that are used to measure job requirements of individual positions.  These factors can be compared to measure the similarities and differences among positions.  The common allocation factors used to evaluate study positions were:

• Decision-Making: Consists of [a] the decision-making responsibility and degree of independence or latitude that is inherent in the position, and [b] the impact of the decisions.
• Problem-Solving: Involves analyzing, evaluating, reasoning, and creative thinking requirements.In a work environment, not only the breadth and variety of problems are considered, but also guidelines, such as supervision, policies, procedures, laws, regulations, and standards available to the employee.
• Budget and Resource Management: Responsibility for budget development and administration and allocating staff and budget resources among competing demands.
• Scope and Complexity: Defines the breadth and difficulty of the assigned function or responsibility inherent in the classification.
• Contact with Others Required by the Job: Measures [a] the types of contacts, and [b] the purpose of the contacts.
• Supervision Received and Exercised: Describes the level of supervision received from others and the nature of supervision provided to other workers.It relates to the independence of action inherent in a position.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Defines the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform assigned responsibilities.

Each incumbent may experience one of several possible outcomes as a result of a classification study, including: reclassification to an existing class, reclassification to a new class, or receiving a new title for an existing classification. In some cases, an incumbent’s current classification may accurately reflect their daily work, resulting in no change to the classification.

Classification Study Frequently Asked Questions
What is a classification plan?
A classification plan is a systematic framework for grouping jobs into common classifications based on similarities in duties, responsibilities, and requirements.
The purpose of a classification plan is to provide an appropriate basis for making a variety of human resources decisions such as the:

• Development of job-related recruitment and selection procedures;
• Clear and objective appraisal of employee performance;
• Development of career paths, training plans, and succession planning;
• Design of an equitable and competitive salary structure;
• Organizational development and change management; and
• Provision of an equitable basis for discipline and other employee actions.

In addition to providing this basis for various human resources management and process decisions, a classification plan can also effectively support systems of administrative and fiscal control.  Grouping of positions into an orderly classification system supports planning, budget analysis and preparation, and various other administrative functions.

Why are studies conducted?
Classification studies are conducted in order to assess changes in job functions over time, create new jobs, and accurately represent the full scope of duties during recruitment and performance evaluation. They are also useful in creating a solid foundation by which to compare positions within an organization to other, similar positions within a market.

What is the difference between a classification specification and position (or job) description?
“Position” and “Classification” are two terms that are often used interchangeably but have very different meanings.

• A position is an assigned group of duties and responsibilities performed by one person.A position can be full-time, part-time, regular, temporary, filled, or vacant.Often the word “job” is used in place of the word “position.”
• A classification or class may contain only one position or may consist of a number of positions.When you have several positions assigned to one class, it means that the same classification title is appropriate for each position; that the scope, level, duties, and responsibilities of each position assigned to the class are sufficiently similar (but not identical), and that the same core knowledge, skills, and other requirements are appropriate for all positions in the class.

A position or job description, often known as a “desk manual”, generally lists each duty an employee performs and may also have information about how to perform that duty.  A classification specification normally reflects several positions and is a summary document that does not list each duty performed by every employee.  The classification description, which is intended to be broader, more general and informational, indicates the general scope and level of responsibilities, plus the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other requirements for successful performance, not detail-specific position responsibilities.

What is the relationship between classification and compensation?
Classification is the description of and the requirements to perform the work.  Compensation is the monetary value of the work, often influenced by two factors:

• The external labor market; and
• Internal relationships within the organization.

Why were some classifications recommended for a series (such as a I, II, etc.) and other classifications not recommended for a series?
Classifications may consist of multiple levels called a classification series (such as Administrative Assistant I and Administrative Assistant II) or consist of a single level (such as Program Coordinator).  The recommendation of multiple levels or a single level classification series depends on the allocation factors described previously, as well as the availability of work, the training requirements to become fully competent in the work, and the District’s needs and priorities.

What are the general definitions of levels?

Establishing Minimum Qualifications

While we recognize the institutional culture and value placed on education, the education and/or experience listed in the classification specification are minimum requirements; placing higher levels of education or experience which are not required for the work performed places barriers for applicants who would otherwise qualify for the job.  The minimum qualifications in the classification specification provide a “typical way to obtain the required qualifications,” in recognition of the fact that there are other ways of qualifying for the work.
The minimum qualifications:

• Should not be so restrictive that they exclude candidates who might reasonably have the ability to do the work.
• Should not present artificial barriers to employment;
• Need to be practical in the sense that they are obtainable in the general labor market;
• Should address Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs), however, KSAs that can be obtained on the job should not be factored into the requirements; and
• Need to be tied directly to the job duties.
• A classification or class may contain only one position or may consist of a number of positions.When you have several positions assigned to one class, it means that the same classification title is appropriate for each position; that the scope, level, duties, and responsibilities of each position assigned to the class are sufficiently similar (but not identical), and that the same core knowledge, skills, and other requirements are appropriate for all positions in the class.

Wanted: Interim ACE Vice President at De Anza

ACE is seeking an interim Vice President at De Anza while current VP Precious Gerardo is on leave.  The position would start in late October and run through early March 2019.  ACE vice presidents serve in addition to their full-time FHDA job. The position is voluntary with ACE providing an optional $200 monthly stipend.

Duties of the Vice President:

• Attend ACE Executive Board meeting held the second Wednesday of each month;
• Serve on the College Council and Instructional Planning and Budget Team (IPBT);
• Assign ACE representative to hiring committees for ACE positions; and
• Help facilitate site meeting, usually held the first Tuesday of each month.

The vice president is a member of the ACE Executive Board and is directly responsible for:

• The operation of ACE.
• Assuring appropriate expenditure of funds.
• Proper and legal administration and implementation of the constitution.
• Any representation of ACE that has been authorized by the Board in order to bind ACE or agree to any issues subject to collective bargaining and EERA.

Serving as an executive board member requires subordination of personal interests to those that represent the highest good of the members.  Board members shall have no greater rights than any other member of ACE.

Next step

To be eligible, you must work at the De Anza campus.  If you’re interested in serving as Interim Vice President at De Anza, please send ACE President.Chris White an email, whitechris@fhda.edu, no later than, Friday, September 28.  We are looking to appoint a replacement at our October 10 executive board meeting.

Benefits Open Enrollment for 2019

Sept.10 through Oct. 5, 2018

• Open enrollment provides an opportunity to make changes to benefit coverage.
• If you choose not to make any changes, your current benefit options will roll over, except for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).
• For the 2019 plan year, employee contribution rates remain the same as 2018.

Information packets were sent by human resources to all employees home address listed on file in Banner.

For complete information, including benefit fair dates, visit the District’s Open Enrollment for Plan Year 2019 web page.