ACE News

President’s Message

For the past year and half, nearly every community college across the state has experienced a decline in enrollment and Foothill-De Anza (FHDA) is no exception. The difference for FHDA? This downward trend has been occurring for at least the past five years, long past the time when, historically, similar enrollment challenges have turned around.  Down nearly 7% in spring, the overall loss in enrollment translates to a projected budget deficit of nearly $6 million for the 16/17 fiscal year.

Increased competition online and off, rising housing costs in the bay area, nearby community college districts that are now “basic aid” – meaning their local property tax revenue exceeds their allocated state base funding – which typically gives them more discretionary funds, shifting priorities by the state, traffic congestion, and accessibility issues for students with the ongoing campus construction have all played a role in this decline, but to what extent we really do not know. The District collects data which tells us where our students come from, how many units they take, if it is their first time with the district or if they’re returning, but the reasons why they leave or never make it to campus in the first place remain largely anecdotal.  And after five years of continual decline, that is a problem.

Fortunately for the District, ACE and the other bargaining units worked collectively with them during the recession to set aside nearly $55 million in stability funds for a rainy day. Much like this past winter, the rain is here and it is unrelenting. The town hall meetings held in winter quarter illustrated how these funds will not last forever – and they should not be allowed to – but they should give the District time to gather data and better understand what current and future students want and need so they can build an enrollment management plan to better address them.

Of service,

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

Classification Study:  Follow-Up Interviews

by Chris White, ACE President

During the weeks of May 15 and May 22, the consultants will be meeting with all employees who elected an interview on their PDQ. The interviews will take place on both Foothill and De Anza campuses primarily between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Individual interviews are 30 minutes long and group interviews are 45 minutes. The schedule was developed by the consultants. If you have sent a request for a change, we’re working through them as fast as we can and will get back to you shortly.  If you have not received an Outlook invite for your scheduled interview and would like one, please contact me immediately.

These interviews are another tool for the consultants to gather information and get clarification on the job duties you perform. The information they gather from them, the PDQs, and interviews with supervisors are what guide the job descriptions and classifications the consultants develop and recommend we adopt.  Your participation is critical to this process so please make every effort to attend the interview you’ve been assigned. If, for any reason, you miss or need to reschedule your interview, please contact myself or Myisha Washington in human resources and we will do our best to accommodate you.

The Interview:

• Review your PDQ prior to meeting with the consultant.  This will help you stay focused and identify any information you may have forgotten to include when you submitted your PDQ.
• Know where your interview is being held. Most of the conference rooms are commonly used, some are not.  At De Anza, the corporate yard conference room (120) is located in the plant services area across from the SEM building.  At Foothill, 1943 is located inside the international office (please be respectful of those who are working in the area), and the bio health conference room (5212) is located outside and to the left if you’re facing the bio health division office. If you’re unsure where to go, please ask.
• Be on time for your interview.  With over 200 interviews to conduct, staying on schedule is critical to collecting the information in a timely manner.  It’s also respectful to the consultants and your colleagues.
• Checking in for your interview.  Due to the large volume of interviews, the consultants will be conducting interviews simultaneously across the campuses. It is unlikely that there will be someone for you to check-in with when you arrive.  Please knock before entering a conference room to make sure the consultant isn’t still interviewing another colleague.
• Stay focused on your job duties.  Thirty minutes goes fast. This is not about workload or how your supervisor acts or how other positions are classified.  It is about the type of work that you perform in your job.

Thank you all for your support and patience throughout this process

REMINDER:  Classifications are generalized and not every word from the PDQ will be on the final classification descriptions.

Negotiations Update

By Cathleen Monsell, Chair of Negotiations

On Tuesday, May 2^nd the negotiations team met with the District and we are close to coming to an agreement on all open issues.  Once we finish negotiations, we will provide you with the tentative agreements and a summary before you vote on ratification.

Our negotiations will continue on May 24^th.

ACE Role on Hiring Committees

You’ve seen the requests but what does it mean to serve as an ACE representative on a hiring committee?  Why is it important for ACE to have a role on hiring committees?  As a labor organization, our role is to bargain collectively on decisions on salary, hours of work, hiring practices, classification, and other terms and conditions of employment at Foothill and De Anza colleges.  In addition, diversity is encouraged when putting together a hiring committee to allow for different perspectives.  This practice lends credibility to the District’s commitment to openness, fairness, and inclusion in our selection process.

Your role as an ACE representative is to work with the equal opportunity (EO) representative to ensure fairness on all hiring committees and to ensure the job and working conditions described to potential candidates follow the ACE Agreement.  Your knowledge, experience and judgment as a member of the classified staff in this District make your input invaluable in this process. Who the District hires directly affects student, and your, success.

In more practical terms, serving on a hiring committee is an effective way to earn hours towards your Professional Growth Award (PGA). It also limits the time temporary workers are needed to fill vacant positions, who often lack the skills and knowledge needed for the position and places a greater burden on permanent staff to get the work done. The quicker committees can be staffed, the sooner they can be filled permanently.

Who selects the ACE representative?
For ACE hiring committees, a “representative from the bargaining unit who is not an employee in the same department/program will be appointed by an officer of the union.” (FHDA Administrative Procedure 4130).  It is not appropriate for the hiring manager or staff who work in the hiring area to request or appoint an ACE representative. ACE has selected the vice president at each location to fill these appointments.

• Central Services: Bill Baldwin, x 6191
• De Anza: Matt Trosper, x8646
• Foothill: Denise Perez, x7256

The next time you receive an email asking for an ACE representative, please considering serving. Your participation benefits you, and the District, far longer than the small amount of time you spend serving on the committee.

Know Your Agreement:  Staff Development Leave

Staff Development Leave (SDL), Article 10.13, has been established to encourage and enable classified workers to enhance their value to the district through further job-related education, the upgrading of their skills, or retraining for a different career path.  Out of the 72 community college districts in California representing 113 community colleges, very few offer staff development leave for classified staff.

Eligibility and Benefits

• Receive up to 10 months paid time off at 85% of full pay.
• To be eligible, you must have completed seven (7) years of service to the District.
• The leave may be used to complete interrupted studies, learn by observing methods used in industry or other educational institutions, or get a substantial start on a goal of better education.
• During the leave the worker will be entitled to all the benefits of classified contract workers except that only 85% of service time will be credited by the Public Employees Retirement System.
• During the leave the worker shall earn 85% of the normal credit for sick leave and seniority. No vacation credit shall be earned during SDL.
• The worker may apply for Educational Assistance (EA) for courses taken during the leave but courses paid through EA cannot be used to qualify for a Professional Growth Award (PGA).
• Classified hourly are not eligible for SDL.
• The District funds a minimum of ten (10) staff development leaves are granted annually.

The Application

• Applications for the succeeding college year must be received by the Director of Human Resources before December 15.
• Unit members may submit a copy of their request for leave without appropriate signatures by December 15; however, all signatures must be received by January 31.
• The written application must present a detailed description of the proposed activities of the leave and the potential value of these activities to the District as well as the learning outcomes that are expected from this leave.
• If the worker intends to enroll in school, the application must identify the educational institution to be attended and, by academic term, a list of courses (with course descriptions) the worker will be taking.
• The application shall contain precise dates for the beginning and ending of the leave.
• If a unit member is attending school full time, which is 12 units either semester or quarter for undergrad and 8 units, semester or quarter, for graduate, then the unit member does not have to participate in other activities related to the leave.
• If the unit member is not going to school full-time, other activities related to the leave must be completed in fulfilling the 12-unit minimum. For this purpose, one hour of activity per week equals one unit and so forth.
• Any changes to the leave must be submitted in writing to the Director of Human Resources, who will consult with the Staff Development Leave Committee, to approve such changes prior to the unit member participation in those changes.

Staff Development Committee

• This Committee is composed of two representatives from ACE, two representatives from CSEA, and two administrators designated by the Chancellor, one of whom will serve as chairman. Your ACE representatives are Denise Perez at Foothill and Chris White with ACE.  Pro Tip:  Have your application reviewed by an ACE representative before the due date so you can submit you best possible application.
• Each application that has been submitted and has received the recommendation of the immediate supervisor and the appropriate administrator shall be forwarded to the Classified Staff Development Leave Committee for review and recommendation to the Chancellor.
• Board-approved leaves will be announced by March 1 of each year.

Returning From Staff Development Leave

• If a leave is granted, the worker must agree in writing to render, upon return from leave, a minimum of two months of service to the District for each month of staff development leave.
• Failure to render this service will require the worker to refund the salary paid by the District during the leave.
• Within thirty days of return from a leave, the worker shall submit a written report to the Classified Staff Development Leave Committee of the activities of the leave, emphasizing the value to the District and the learning outcomes achieved.
• If the worker attended school during the leave, he or she shall also submit a transcript or other appropriate documentation showing satisfactory attendance and successful completion of the course work as soon as reasonably possible.

We are moving into the next phase of the ACE Classification Study – Employee Interviews.

During the weeks of May 15 and May 22, the consultants will be meeting with all employees who elected an interview on their PDQ. The interviews will take place on both Foothill and De Anza campuses primarily between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Individual interviews are 30 minutes long and group interviews are 45 minutes.

Interview Schedules:
You will receive an Outlook invite from ACE with your designated interview time and location. This will take a little time, so please be patient. It is important to note:

• With over 200 interviews to conduct, the schedule is intense. Please be flexible and work with your supervisor and co-workers to accommodate each other. If you have an existing obligation during your scheduled time, ask yourself first “What is the worst that will happen if I reschedule this obligation? Can someone else cover for me?” If you have tried all of the above (and I will ask you) or unforeseen circumstances arise, the interview can be rescheduled either in person or via phone at a later date. However, this is the exception and not the rule.
• If you did not fill out a PDQ but were hoping to be interviewed, please send me an email and I will work with the consultants to see how we may accommodate you. Again, flexibility on your part is essential.

Interview Expectations:

• Review your PDQ prior to meeting with the consultant. Their goal during these interviews will be to clarify information in the PDQ and to obtain supplemental information such as items that were not added/covered in the PDQ and/or any discrepancies between what you and your supervisor wrote down.
• Stay focused on your job duties. This is not about workload or how your supervisor acts or how other positions are classified. It is about the type of work that you perform in your job.

As a reminder, if you have any questions, please contact:

• Chris White, ACE President; whitechris@fhda.edu
• Myisha Washington, Manager, Compensation, Classification and Employment; washingtonmyisha@fhda.edu
• Information for the study can be found on the district human resources website: http://hr.fhda.edu/class-comp/e-ACE%20Classification%20Study%202017.html

  Thank you all for your support and patience throughout this process.

President’s Message

As we wait for the next steps in the classification study and negotiations (see below for updates), this is a good time to remind you of the other important component to our labor organization, representing members to management.

Access to representation was one of the main reasons we chose to become an independent union. Today, it is where we spend the bulk of our resources. Why don’t you hear more about this? Personnel matters are confidential and we take that seriously.

ACE represents its members in:

• Issues around disciplinary action and to assure that the agreed upon process has been followed. Sometimes the issues can be easily resolved with further examination of the Agreement; and
• Violations of the labor code or education code, like your supervisor assigning overtime work and refusing to give you a choice between being paid out through comp time or overtime pay.

There is no formal mechanism to resolve non-contractual disputes. ACE is willing to consult and mediate these situations, but the District is under no obligation to do so.

ACE does not represent its members in:

• Discrimination cases, which are to be handled by the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), http://www.dfeh.ca.gov, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), https://www.eeoc.gov.
• Workers’ Compensation Claims
• Disputes between members because we have a responsibility to represent all ACE members. It is your supervisor and/or human resource’s responsibility to address these disputes.

If you find yourself dealing with possible disciplinary action or an issue instigated by human resources, payroll or benefits, please contact your chief steward immediately. Representation is covered by your dues and we are here to help.

Of service,

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

Retirement Workshop

Friday, May 5 at De Anza College
Conference Rooms A&B, Fireside Room
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Hosted by the Faculty Association (FA), this Retirement Workshop is open to ALL district employees. The workshop will include sessions from CalPERS, CalSTRS, Social Security, and Medicare. Employees at all stages of their career are encouraged to attend. It is never too early to plan for your retirement. No RSVP required.

11:00 a.m.
Registration, Hand-outs, and Greetings

11:15 a.m – 12:15 p.m.
CalPERS Basics: Public Employees Retirement System

12:15 – 12:45 p.m.
District Benefits in Retirement for Full-time Employees

1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Social Security – For full and part-time employees.

2:15 – 3:15 p.m.
ACE Classified Staff Benefits and Retirement Options
Includes Article 17 (Retirement) and Article 17B (Pre-retirement Reduction in Contract).
This session will be held in the Fireside Room.

Negotiations Update

By Cathleen Monsell, Chair of Negotiations

I am looking forward to being the Chair of Negotiations and learning all the nuances of successful negotiations on behalf of ACE members.

On March 29th, we had our first negotiations meeting with the District. Due to unforeseen circumstances not all District negotiators were able to attend and the meeting needed to be postponed. At this meeting ACE presented proposals for the following Articles:

• Article 8.6 – Professional Growth Award.
• Article 9 – Holidays and Vacations as it relates to the Cesar Chavez holiday.
• Article 14 – Worker Expenses and Materials as it relates to Educational Assistance and Travel and Conference Funds.

Our next meeting with the district is scheduled for April 26.

Classification Study: Supervisor Comments and Follow-Up Interviews

by Chris White, ACE President

March 31 was the deadline for supervisors to submit PDQ comments on the position(s), filled or vacant, which they manage. Human resources (HR) sent clear instructions to supervisors that they were not to change anything an employee had written on their PDQ. They also clarified that the supervisor’s role during this phase of the study was to verify the duties and add additional information that they saw fit in terms of what is expected/not expected of the position, emphasising their comments should be about the position and not the incumbent. Over spring break, Myisha Washington in HR prepped and sent the PDQs to the consultants for review.

If you would like to review your supervisor’s comments, please send an email to Myisha Washington, washingtonmyisha@fhda.edu in HR and copy ACE President Chris White, whitechris@fhda.edu, requesting a copy of the completed PDQ for your position. Please keep in mind:

• Your supervisor does not have to agree with your answers. Your supervisor may see something that you overlooked and add it in their comments. They have been asked to clarify their comments or review the areas which they disagree.
• The consultants, who are an impartial party and are very experienced in job analysis, may contact you or your supervisor, or department head if they need to clarify or need additional information related to the PDQ.
• You may not request a copy of a completed PDQ for any position other than your own.

Next Step: It will take the consultants several weeks to review the information on the PDQ’s and determine where follow-up interviews are needed. We anticipate follow-up interviews to take place in late April/early May. Watch your email for more information and invites. During this process, it is important to note:

• The follow-up interviews are meant to collect additional information regarding job duties performed within classifications that may have been missed when filling out the PDQ, address discrepancies between employee and supervisor comments, and help the consultants determine how job descriptions line up in our current classification system.
• Each employee will have the opportunity to be interviewed by Koff & Associates.
• Employees in a classification with only one position will be interviewed by the consultant.
• If you did not fill out a PDQ, you may still be asked to participate in a follow-up interview.

REMINDER: Classifications are generalised and not every word from the PDQ will be on the final classification descriptions.

Voluntary Transfers

Voluntary Transfers, Article 7.4.1, are meant to increase job opportunities for permanent classified staff with the district by opening vacant positions to internal candidates first. A transfer is a non-disciplinary change in a permanent employee’s work assignment to another workstation within the same classification or to a position in another classification at the same or lower salary range as the current salary range of the employee. ACE negotiated a new process in October 2015 in response to members’ concerns that the opportunity to transfer was not transparent and help address frustration that current FHDA employees weren’t given first consideration before positions opened to external candidates.

As part of the voluntary transfer process, the District agreed to:

• Send an email to all FHDA employees about transfer opportunities; and
• Give internal candidates five (5) business days to submit an application for the position to HR for consideration before it is opened to external candidates.

To be eligible to apply for a transfer:

• An employee must meet the minimum requirements for the new position and not be on probation.
• The new position must be equal to or lower than the employee’s permanent classification level. The job title doesn’t need to be the same, just the classification level (46, 48, 52 etc.).

Frequently asked questions:

1. I want to transfer. I meet the minimum qualifications and have the most seniority, do I automatically get the position? No. This process gives qualified internal applicants the opportunity to apply and interview for a position before it is opened to external applicants.
2. Can I request a transfer if a position is open but hasn’t been advertised? Yes. You may ask the hiring manager who oversees the open position for the transfer, but they still have the final say on how they want to proceed. To help maintain transparency, many follow through with the new transfer process.
3. I submitted my application within five (5) days, what happens next? The hiring manager will review applications and interview qualified applicants as appropriate. At a minimum, the hiring committee for the internal hiring process will consist of the hiring manager, an ACE member appointed by ACE, and an EEO designated by HR. As always, the hiring manager has the final say in who they choose for the position.
4. I missed the five (5) day submission time period, can I still apply? Yes, but the posting is opened to outside candidates and you will go through the formal FHDA hiring process.
5. The position is at a lower level than my current one. Will my pay stay the same? A voluntary transfer to a lower classification may result in a salary reduction. You will be placed on a salary step in the lower range which corresponds in credit for years of service to that which was provided in the higher range. In no case, shall the new pay level exceed the maximum salary for the lower classification.
6. If more than one internal applicant is interviewed, the person with the most seniority gets the position? No. Seniority is not a factor in this process. The hiring manager gets to choose.
7. I wasn’t selected during internal candidate interviews, can I ask to be included in the interview pool with outside candidates? No. The hiring manager has made their determination. If no internal or external candidate is selected and the position is readvertised, you may once again apply for the position.
8. I was selected for the position, but my old boss says I can’t transfer until they can find my replacement. Can they do that? No. The change in assignment shall be made as soon as practically possible, but it can’t be delayed longer than fifteen (15) working days after HR has been notified officially by the hiring manager that a worker has been selected for transfer.
9. Am I on probation with this new assignment? Yes. There is a six (6) month probationary period for the new position only (you still retain permanent status with the District) and you will be evaluated in the same manner as a new employee. If you are released from the new job during the six-month probationary period, the Director of Human Resources shall reinstate the worker in the formerly held position, if available, or a position in the class in which he/she has permanency